Szarel, Genesis Shepherd + Puppeteer Clique + Ashnod's Altar

Szarel, Genesis Shepherd

Puppeteer Clique

Ashnod's Altar

How it works

1. Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Puppeteer Clique.
2. When Puppeteer Clique dies, its persist ability and Szarel trigger.
3. Resolve the persist trigger, returning Puppeteer Clique from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
4. When Puppeteer Clique enters, it triggers, putting a creature card from an opponent's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
5. Resolve the Szarel trigger, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on another creature you control.
6. Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the creature returned in step 4.
7. When the creature dies, Szarel triggers, putting a number of +1/+1 counters on Puppeteer Clique.
8. Repeat.

This clever loop turns the graveyard into your personal playground by weaponizing Puppeteer Clique's persistent nature alongside Ashnod's Altar. Every time you sacrifice Puppeteer Clique to the Altar for colorless mana, its persist ability brings it right back with a -1/+1 counter—which is immediately neutralized by the +1/+1 counters distributed by Szarel, Genesis Shepherd whenever you sacrifice a permanent. Meanwhile, each return of Puppeteer Clique lets you steal a fresh victim from an opponent's graveyard to sacrifice to Ashnod's Altar as well, fueling infinite mana, triggers, and a growing army backed by Szarel's ability to play lands straight from the graveyard.