Nadir Kraken + Skullclamp + Ashnod's Altar + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

4-card combo · WU

Verdict

Yes — this 4-card loop generates infinite card draw and a board of near-infinite Tentacle tokens in any white-blue artifact-creature shell.

Cards required

Cheapest stack total

$14.61

Color identity

Popularity

575 decks

Format

Commander

Buy required cards on TCGplayer

Skullclamp on a sacrificed creature draws two cards, each draw triggers Nadir Kraken twice, and paying 2 of the Ashnod's Altar mana spawns two 1/1 Tentacles that feed the next cycle. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is the critical fourth piece — without her, the Tentacles enter as 1/1s and Skullclamp's equip cost requires them to hit 1 toughness, which they already are, meaning the equip can land but the loop depends on Elesh Norn pumping them to 3/3 so sacrificing them doesn't immediately kill them before the equip resolves cleanly. The table sees a slow assembly of four permanents before the loop goes live, which gives interaction a wide window.

How it works

Prerequisites

Skullclamp attached to another creature you control.

Steps

Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the creature with Skullclamp attached, adding .
The creature dies, triggering Skullclamp, causing you to draw two cards.
Nadir Kraken triggers twice, causing you to pay to put two +1/+1 counters on Nadir Kraken and create two 1/1 Tentacle creature tokens.
Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing a Tentacle, adding .
Activate Skullclamp by paying , equipping it to a Tentacle token.
Repeat.

Result

Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers; Near-infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature; Near-infinite colorless mana; Near-infinite creature tokens; Near-infinite death triggers; Near-infinite ETB; Near-infinite LTB; Near-infinite sacrifice triggers

Cheaper, tighter, alternate lines

Intruder Alarm or Earthcraft can serve as alternative untap engines in blue-white creature builds if the Altar slot is contested, though neither replaces the mana generation cleanly. Without Elesh Norn, the loop collapses — she is not swappable here, so tutor her specifically with Enlightened Tutor or Recruiter of the Guard rather than hoping to draw into her.

Nadir Kraken + Skullclamp + Ashnod's Altar + Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

How it works

Cheaper, tighter, alternate lines

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