Umbral Collar Zealot + Scuzzback Marauders + Hardened Academic

Umbral Collar Zealot

Scuzzback Marauders

Hardened Academic

How it works

1. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing Scuzzback Marauders.
2. When Scuzzback Marauders dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. Hardened Academic triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Scuzzback Marauders.
4. Resolve the Umbral Collar Zealot ability.
5. Repeat.

This loop creates a self-sustaining engine by turning the constant recycling of Scuzzback Marauders into a fountain of triggers. When you sacrifice the Marauders to Umbral Collar Zealot, its persist ability brings it right back with a -1/-1 counter, while Hardened Academic uses the card leaving the graveyard to trigger its ability and place a +1/+1 counter on the Marauders. These two opposing counters immediately annihilate each other through state-based actions, leaving the Marauders fresh and clean with no counters at all so it can be sacrificed all over again. Meanwhile, every activation lets Umbral Collar Zealot surveil your library, giving you absolute control over your draws while generating an endless storm of deaths and entries.