Chthonian Nightmare + Priest of Gix + Dark Ritual + Eternal Witness

4-card combo · BG

Verdict

Yes — this 4-card loop generates infinite black mana and infinite death triggers in any black-green shell that can assemble the graveyard and the energy seed.

Cards required: 4
Cheapest stack total: $2.11
Color identity: BG
Popularity: 141 decks
Format: Commander

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Chthonian Nightmare alternates between recurring Priest of Gix and Eternal Witness; Priest of Gix pays for the loop by adding three black on entry, Dark Ritual bridges the one colorless in the casting cost, and Eternal Witness returns Dark Ritual each cycle to keep the chain solvent. The table sees a Nightmare activation, two ETBs, and a recast every loop — anything that watches creatures die or enter converts this into a win immediately.

Recipe

How it works

Prerequisites

You have at least three energy counters.

Steps

Activate Chthonian Nightmare by paying , sacrificing Eternal Witness and returning Chthonian Nightmare from the battlefield to your hand, returning Priest of Gix from your graveyard to the battlefield.
When Priest of Gix enters the battlefield, it triggers, adding .
Cast Dark Ritual by paying , adding .
Cast Chthonian Nightmare by paying .
When Chthonian Nightmare enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to get .
Activate Chthonian Nightmare by paying , sacrificing Priest of Gix and returning Chthonian Nightmare from the battlefield to your hand, returning Eternal Witness from your graveyard to the battlefield.
When Eternal Witness enters, it triggers, returning Dark Ritual from your graveyard to your hand.
Cast Chthonian Nightmare by paying .
When Chthonian Nightmare enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to get .
Repeat.

Result

Infinite LTB; Infinite ETB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite death triggers; Infinite storm count; Infinite magecraft triggers; Infinite black mana

Variations

Cheaper, tighter, alternate lines

Haywire Mite or any other creature with a relevant ETB can slot into the Eternal Witness role if the goal is purely the death-trigger count rather than the mana, but Eternal Witness is non-negotiable here since it's the only piece that recovers Dark Ritual from the graveyard. Finish with a Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat draining the table, or sink the infinite black into a Torment of Hailfire for the kill — the engine produces mana, the closer is up to the list.