Terra, Magical Adept // Esper Terra + Resourceful Defense + Tannuk, Steadfast Second

Terra, Magical Adept // Esper Terra

Resourceful Defense

Tannuk, Steadfast Second

How it works

1. Activate Terra, Magical Adept by paying 4 and tapping it, exiling it and returning it to the battlefield as Esper Terra.
2. When Esper Terra enters the battlefield, its first chapter ability triggers, copying another nonlegendary Saga you control and putting two to three lore counters on it.
3. The Saga tokens first through fourth chapter abilities trigger, as applicable. Resolve all triggers, and sacrifice the Saga token upon resolving the final trigger.
4. When the Saga token leaves the battlefield, Resourceful Defense triggers, moving the lore counters from the Saga token onto Esper Terra.
5. Esper Terra's second, third and fourth chapter abilities trigger.
6. Resolve the second and third chapter abilities.
7. Resolve the fourth chapter ability, adding and then exiling Esper Terra and returning it to the battlefield as Terra, Magical Adept.
8. Resourceful Defense and Terra, Magical Adept trigger.
9. Resolve the Resourceful Defense trigger, moving all counters from Esper Terra onto any other permanent
10. Resolve the Terra, Magical Adept trigger, causing you to mill five cards and return up to one enchantment card from among them from your graveyard to your hand.
11. Repeat.

This ingenious loop hinges on Esper Terra transforming back and forth while leaning on Resourceful Defense to snowball its chapter counters exponentially. When Esper Terra's final chapter fires, it yields a massive influx of colored mana and resets to its front face, triggering Terra, Magical Adept to mill and recycle enchantments. Resourceful Defense ensures that the lore counters built up on your token copies aren't lost to the void when they sacrifice themselves, but instead safely hop over to fuel the Saga's progress even faster. Meanwhile, Tannuk, Steadfast Second ensures your hasty token copies and returning permanents can immediately join the fray as you churn through your deck and generate endless resources.