Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight + Ashnod's Altar + Marionette Master

Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn // Isilu, Carrier of Twilight

Ashnod's Altar

Marionette Master

How it works

1. Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Marionette Master.
2. When Marionette Master dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. When Marionette Master enters, its fabricate ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
4. Repeat.

This loop turns the battlefield into a perpetual motion machine by exploiting the interplay between state-based counters and sacrifice mechanics. When you sacrifice Marionette Master to Ashnod's Altar, you generate a pair of colorless mana while setting up its return. That return is fueled by the persist ability granted by Isilu, Carrier of Twilight (the back face of Eirdu, Carrier of Dawn), which brings Marionette Master back with a -1/-1 counter; immediately afterward, its fabricate ability places a +1/+1 counter on it, which conveniently neutralizes the -1/-1 counter as state-based actions check the creature. By repeating this cycle, Ashnod's Altar continually feeds you mana while Marionette Master's own artifact-sacrificing nature triggers its second ability over and over, draining your opponent's life total down to zero through sheer attrition.