Ivy Lane Denizen + Ashnod's Altar

Ivy Lane Denizen

Ashnod's Altar

How it works

1. Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the creature with persist, adding 2.
2. The persist ability triggers, returning that creature to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
3. Ivy Lane Denizen triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on the persist creature.
4. Repeat.

This elegant two-card loop relies on the clever interplay between stat-modifying counters to generate infinite colorless mana alongside endless entry and departure triggers. When you feed a creature with persist into Ashnod's Altar, it returns to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter, but the timely arrival of Ivy Lane Denizen immediately counteracts this drawback by placing a +1/+1 counter on it. Because state-based actions neutralize matching +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters simultaneously, the creature is effectively wiped clean of its penalties and ready to be sacrificed to the Altar all over again.