Woe Strider + Putrid Goblin + Hardened Academic

Woe Strider

Putrid Goblin

Hardened Academic

How it works

1. Activate Woe Strider by sacrificing Putrid Goblin.
2. When Putrid Goblin 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 Putrid Goblin.
4. Resolve the Woe Strider ability.
5. Repeat.

This loop turns Woe Strider into a zero-cost sacrifice outlet that immediately recycles Putrid Goblin, whose persist mechanic would normally stop after one death due to its -1/-1 counter. That is where Hardened Academic steps in: its passive ability triggers whenever cards leave your graveyard, instantly neutralizing the -1/-1 counter with a +1/+1 counter as Putrid Goblin returns. By leveraging these mechanics together, you generate an endless chain of sacrifices, death triggers, and scry 1s to sculpt your draws indefinitely.