Nadir Kraken + Skullclamp + Ashnod's Altar + Paragon of Gathering Mists

4-card combo · U

Verdict

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

Cards required

Cheapest stack total

$8.69

Color identity

Popularity

11 decks

Format

Commander

Buy required cards on TCGplayer

Nadir Kraken converts each draw trigger into a Tentacle token; Skullclamp converts each Tentacle into two more draws; Ashnod's Altar sacrifices creatures to fund the 2 mana Nadir Kraken demands per trigger, and Paragon of Gathering Mists holds the whole engine together by untapping something to keep mana flowing. The loop is mono-blue, so any blue Commander running artifact tutors like Whir of Invention or Reshape can assemble it.

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

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

Cheaper, tighter, alternate lines

The weak link is Paragon of Gathering Mists — it's an obscure piece with no obvious substitute, so protect it or run redundant untap effects like Intruder Alarm to cover removal. Once the loop is running, the draw engine alone closes the game with Laboratory Maniac or Thassa's Oracle; the token flood closes it with Altar of Dementia.

Nadir Kraken + Skullclamp + Ashnod's Altar + Paragon of Gathering Mists

How it works

Cheaper, tighter, alternate lines

Other combos sharing these cards