Yarus, Roar of the Old Gods + Karlov Watchdog + Phantom Train + Bilbo, Luckwearer // Burglar's Plot

Yarus, Roar of the Old Gods

Karlov Watchdog

Phantom Train

Bilbo, Luckwearer // Burglar's Plot

How it works

1. Donate Karlov Watchdog to an opponent.
2. During the opponent's turn, activate Phantom Train by sacrificing a face-down creature you control.
3. When the creature dies, Yarus's second ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield face-down as a 2/2 creature, and then not turning it face-up due to Karlov Watchdog.
4. Resolve the Phantom Train ability.
5. Repeat from step 2.

This fascinating loop transforms the graveyard into an engine by continuously recycling a face-down creature to fuel Phantom Train's sacrifice ability. Yarus, Roar of the Old Gods is the key to this recursion, as its triggered ability catches the sacrificed creature upon death and sneaks it right back onto the battlefield face down. The brilliance of the combo relies on Karlov Watchdog—generously donated to an opponent—whose static ability prevents permanents from being turned face up during your turn, cleverly bypassing Yarus's usual requirement to flip the creature back up and allowing it to stay safely face down for the next iteration. With Phantom Train growing ever larger from the sacrifices and Yarus granting haste to any other threats alongside its card-drawing prowess, even Bilbo, Luckwearer // Burglar's Plot can comfortably sit back and watch the endless cycle of deaths and creature entry triggers unfold.