This looping engine relies on Phyrexian Altar to continuously sacrifice Wingrattle Scarecrow for colored mana while simultaneously triggering its persist ability to bring it right back to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. To keep this cycle from stalling out due to those accumulating counters, Thran Vigil steps in during your turn by watching the Scarecrow leave the graveyard and placing a neutralizing +1/+1 counter on it; when these opposing counters meet, state-based actions cause them to annihilate each other, leaving the Scarecrow completely clean and ready to be sacrificed all over again.