Yahenni, Undying Partisan + Hardened Academic + Obstinate Gargoyle

Yahenni, Undying Partisan

Hardened Academic

Obstinate Gargoyle

How it works

1. Activate Yahenni by sacrificing Obstinate Gargoyle.
2. When Obstinate Gargoyle 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 Obstinate Gargoyle.
4. Resolve the Yahenni ability.
5. Repeat.

This clever loop turns Yahenni, Undying Partisan into an engine of endless sacrifices by feeding it Obstinate Gargoyle over and over again. Each time the Gargoyle succumbs to Yahenni's activated ability, its persist mechanic brings it back to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter, which instantly triggers Hardened Academic's ability to place a neutralizing +1/+1 counter on the Gargoyle. Because these two opposing counters annihilate each other through state-based actions, the Gargoyle remains pristine and ready to be sacrificed again, permanently growing Yahenni's power while generating an infinite storm of creature deaths and enters-the-battlefield events.