The 20 Best Golgari Combos in Magic Ranked

Witherbloom Apprentice | Illustration by Josh Hass

If you like grinding out value, draining life, and turning the graveyard into your greatest weapon, Golgari () is right up your alley. Black and green combine to create some of the most relentless combos in Magic: The Gathering, mixing resource recursion with sacrifice engines that just won’t quit—and today, we’re looking at the best combos out there! Let’s dive into the list.

What Are Golgari Combos in MTG?

Dina, Soul Steeper | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Golgari () combos in Magic: The Gathering are card interactions in the black-and-green color identity that create powerful loops, overwhelming value, or game-ending effects. In Commander, they often center on loops where creatures are sacrificed to drain opponents or trigger other benefits, or graveyard recursion, where cards keep coming back for repeated use.

#20. Vraska, Betrayal’s Sting + Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider

Cards – Vraska, Betrayal's Sting; Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider

Prerequisites – Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider is on the battlefield, and you can cast Vraska, Betrayal's Sting. Opponents have 8 or fewer poison counters.

Result – Instantly eliminate an opponent by pushing them to 10 or more poison counters.

Variations – Doubling Season can replace Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider to give Vraska, Betrayal's Sting enough loyalty to ultimate right away.

Execution – Play Vraska, Betrayal's Sting while Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider is out. Vraska enters with double loyalty, enough to ultimate immediately. Use the -9 to give an opponent 9 poison counters, which Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider doubles to 18, knocking them out of the game on the spot.

#19. Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Viscera Seer + Putrid Goblin

Cards – Melira, Sylvok Outcast; Viscera Seer; Putrid Goblin

Prerequisites – All three are on the battlefield, and Putrid Goblin doesn’t have a -1/-1 counter on it.

Result – An infinite combo that delivers endless scry, ETB (enter-the-battlefield) triggers, LTB (leave-the-battlefield) triggers, death, and sacrifice triggers.

Variations – One of the strongest upgrades swaps Putrid Goblin for Murderous Redcap. In this version, the loop doesn’t just produce value—it becomes a win condition. Each time Murderous Redcap re-enters, it deals damage equal to its power to any target, letting you ping opponents or remove creatures until the table is clear (or dead). Any other creature with persist can replace Putrid Goblin. Ivy Lane Denizen or Arwen, Weaver of Hope can replace Melira.

Execution – Sacrifice Putrid Goblin to Viscera Seer, triggering its persist ability. Because Melira, Sylvok Outcast stops -1/-1 counters from being placed, the Goblin returns without a counter. Then resolve Viscera Seer’s scry 1. From there, you can repeat indefinitely, generating infinite scries and any other effects tied to creature deaths or ETBs.

#18. Camellia, the Seedmiser + Peregrin Took + Ashnod’s Altar

Cards – Camellia, the Seedmiser; Peregrin Took; Ashnod's Altar

Prerequisites – All three cards are in the field. You have one Food token and 2 mana available.

Result – Infinite mana, infinite Squirrels, infinite Foods, infinite +1/+1 counters on your squirrels, and infinite death triggers.

Variations – Academy Manufactor supercharges this loop by making Clues and Treasure along with each Food.

Execution – Spend 2 mana and sacrifice a Food to Camellia’s activated ability, making a Squirrel. Peregrin Took makes another Food. Sacrifice the Squirrel to Ashnod's Altar for 2 mana to spend on Camillia’s forage ability and repeat. You never run out of mana or tokens, and your squirrels keep getting stronger.

#17. Glacial Chasm + The Gitrog Monster + Ramunap Excavator

Cards – Glacial Chasm; The Gitrog Monster; Ramunap Excavator

Prerequisites – All three permanents are on the battlefield.

Result – You take no damage for the rest of the game while drawing an extra card every turn.

Variations – Crucible of Worlds or any other card that plays lands from the graveyard works instead of Ramunap Excavator.

Execution – On your upkeep, sacrifice Glacial Chasm to The Gitrog Monster, drawing a card. Then replay Glacial Chasm from your graveyard with Ramunap Excavator. The Chasm resets with no age counters, and you keep your damage prevention forever.

#16. Hazel’s Brewmaster + Devoted Druid

Cards – Hazel's Brewmaster; Devoted Druid

Prerequisites – Hazel's Brewmaster has exiled Devoted Druid, and you have at least one Food token.

Result – Infinite green mana.

Variations – While Hazel's Brewmaster is an oddball card, other untap engines with Devoted Druid can also generate infinite mana if they bypass the Druid’s counter drawback.

Execution – The Food token has both of Devoted Druid’s abilities. You can tap it for mana, then untap it by putting a -1/-1 counter on it. Since the Food isn’t a creature, adding -1/-1 counters won’t kill it, so you can repeat indefinitely.

#15. Bootleggers’ Stash + Revel in Riches

Cards – Bootleggers' Stash; Revel in Riches

Prerequisites – Both permanents are on the battlefield, and you have at least 10 lands to make Treasure with before your next upkeep.

Result – You win the game at your next upkeep with Revel in Riches‘ alternate win condition.

Variations – Old Gnawbone plus Revel in Riches can achieve the same win by making Treasures through combat damage.

Execution – At the end of your opponent’s turn, tap all your lands with Bootleggers' Stash to make that many Treasures. When your upkeep starts, Revel in Riches sees 10 or more Treasures and you win.

#14. Kodama of the East Tree + Golgari Rot Farm + Scute Swarm

Cards – Kodama of the East Tree; Golgari Rot Farm; Scute Swarm

Prerequisites – You control Kodama of the East Tree and Scute Swarm and have Golgari Rot Farm in hand, with a land drop available.

Result – Infinite tokens and infinite landfall triggers.

Variations – One of the cleanest variations swaps Scute Swarm for Tireless Provisioner, transforming the loop into a mana or life engine instead of a token swarm. With Tireless Provisioner, each landfall makes a Treasure for infinite mana and Food for infinite life. The core loop also works with other landfall cards, such as Rampaging Baloths for a flood of 4/4 Beasts or Field of the Dead for an unstoppable Zombie army.

Execution – Play Golgari Rot Farm, triggering itself, Kodama, and Scute Swarm. Stack your abilities so that the bounce land returns itself to your hand before the Kodama trigger resolves, then put the Rot Farm back into play. You can keep bouncing and replaying Rot Farm, generating infinite landfall triggers and infinite tokens from Scute Swarm.

#13. Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons + Blowfly Infestation

Cards – Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons; Blowfly Infestation

Prerequisites – Both permanents are on the battlefield, and you have at least two creatures with 1 toughness (like a snake from Hapatra) to start the loop.

Result – Infinite snake tokens entering and dying, infinite -1/-1 counter triggers, and infinite death triggers for payoffs like Blood Artist.

Variations – Nest of Scarabs can replace Hapatra to make insects instead, or be added alongside for double token output.

Execution – Put a -1/-1 counter on a 1/1 Snake. It dies, triggering Hapatra and Infestation. Create a Snake with Hapatra, and target the second 1/1 with the Infestation trigger. That repeats the loop.

#12. Slimefoot, the Stowaway + Ashnod’s Altar + Doubling Season

Cards – Slimefoot, the Stowaway; Ashnod's Altar; Doubling Season

Prerequisites – All three permanents are on the field, and you can activate Slimefoot, the Stowaway’s token ability at least once.

Result – Infinite Saproling deaths, infinite life drain for opponents, infinite lifegain for you, and infinite mana from Ashnod's Altar.

Variations – Any token doubler can replace Doubling Season.

Execution – Spend 4 mana to make two Saprolings. Sacrifice them to Ashnod's Altar to generate mana, which pays for the next activation. Each death triggers Slimefoot, draining everyone and gaining you life, and you can loop it forever.

#11. Living Death + Eternal Witness + Phyrexian Altar

Cards – Living Death; Eternal Witness; Phyrexian Altar

Prerequisites – You need Eternal Witness in your graveyard, Phyrexian Altar on the battlefield, Living Death in hand, and at least four other creatures in play or in the graveyard.

Result – Infinite mana, infinite enter/leave-the-battlefield triggers, and infinite death triggers.

Variations – Patriarch's Bidding can replace Living Death if you have five or more humans or shamans. You can use Timeless Witness instead of Eternal Witness.

Execution – Sacrifice Eternal Witness and any other creatures to Phyrexian Altar for mana, then cast Living Death. It brings back Eternal Witness And at least four other creatures. Use the Eternal Witness trigger to return Living Death to your hand, then sacrifice the five creatures to Phyrexian Altar to generate enough mana to cast Living Death again. You can repeat the loop endlessly, and make infinite mana if you have more than five creatures.

#10. Woodfall Primus + Ivy Lane Denizen + Viscera Seer

Cards – Woodfall Primus; Ivy Lane Denizen; Viscera Seer

Prerequisites – All three permanents are on the battlefield, and Woodfall Primus doesn’t have a -1/-1 counter on it.

Result – Destroy every non-creature permanent your opponents control, plus infinite sacrifice and death triggers.

Variations – Ashnod's Altar in place of Viscera Seer adds infinite mana to the mix. Any free sacrifice outlet can replace Viscera Seer.

Execution – Sacrifice Woodfall Primus to Viscera Seer. It returns via persist with a -1/-1 counter, but Ivy Lane Denizen puts a +1/+1 counter on it to cancel it out. Woodfall Primus blows up a noncreature permanent each time it enters, so you can just keep looping until your opponents have nothing left.

#9. Warren Soultrader + Cauldron Familiar + Peregrin Took

Cards – Warren Soultrader; Cauldron Familiar; Peregrin Took

Prerequisites – All three creatures are on the battlefield, and your life total is at least 2.

Result – An infinite loop that generates enter-the-battlefield triggers, leave-the-battlefield triggers, colored mana, sacrifice and death triggers, lifegain, life loss, and Treasure tokens.

Variations – While the core loop is powerful, it’s also flexible enough to swap out pieces for different deck identities. Outside of Golgari colors, Peregrin Took can be replaced with Samwise Gamgee in green-white builds. Samwise Gamgee creates a Food each time Cauldron Familiar enters the battlefield, keeping the loop alive while also offering utility with its ability to return historic cards from your graveyard.

Execution – Activate Warren Soultrader, sacrificing Cauldron Familiar and paying 1 life to make a Treasure. Peregrin Took makes a Food with its replacement effect. Sacrifice the Food to return Cauldron Familiar to the battlefield, gaining 1 life and making opponents lose 1, and repeat.

#8. Exquisite Blood + Dina, Soul Steeper

Cards – Exquisite Blood; Dina, Soul Steeper

Prerequisites – Both permanents are on the battlefield and you have a way to gain life or make an opponent lose life

Result – Infinite lifegain for you and infinite life loss for all opponents.

Variations – Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose or Sanguine Bond can replace Dina.

Execution – The moment an opponent loses life, Exquisite Blood gains you that much life, which triggers Dina, Soul Steeper to drain them again. That drain triggers Exquisite Blood again, and the cycle repeats until everyone else is dead.

#7. Basking Broodscale + Sadistic Glee

Cards – Basking Broodscale; Sadistic Glee

Prerequisites – Both cards are on the battlefield with the aura attached to the Broodscale, and you can place at least one +1/+1 counter on it.

Result – Infinite mana, infinite +1/+1 counters on Basking Broodscale, and infinite ETB/LTB/sacrifice triggers.

Variations – Blade of the Bloodchief and Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest can replace Sadistic Glee to get counters on the Broodscale.

Execution – Put a +1/+1 counter on Basking Broodscale, usually with its adapt ability. That counter triggers it to make a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn. Sacrifice the Spawn for a colorless mana, which causes Sadistic Glee to put a +1/+1 counter on the Broodscale. That makes another Spawn, and the whole process repeats. Once you get the loop going, you can take over the game on the spot.

#6. Ygra, Eater of All + Experimental Confectioner + Ashnod’s Altar

Cards – Ygra, Eater of All; Experimental Confectioner; Ashnod's Altar

Prerequisites – All three must be on the battlefield, and you need at least one other creature to sacrifice to get the loop started.

Result – This loop produces infinite mana, tokens, and +1/+1 counters on Ygra, Eater of All, while also triggering endless ETB, LTB, death, and sacrifice effects.

Variations – The combo works with a variety of sacrifice outlets, not just Ashnod's Altar. Creatures like Viscera Seer give you infinite scry, while Woe Strider offers repeatable board presence through its escape ability.

Execution – It’s beautifully simple in execution: Start by sacrificing a creature other than Ygra or Experimental Confectioner to Ashnod's Altar, generating colorless mana. Because Ygra makes your creatures Food, Experimental Confectioner creates a 1/1 Rat token when the other creature dies. Then you sacrifice the rat to repeat the process, making mana, growing Ygra, and fueling infinite triggers until you’ve overwhelmed the table.

#5. Chatterfang, Squirrel General + Pitiless Plunderer

Cards – Chatterfang, Squirrel General; Pitiless Plunderer

Prerequisites – Chatterfang, Squirrel General and Pitiless Plunderer are on the battlefield, and you have at least one other squirrel and 1 black mana to kick things off.

Result – Infinite death triggers, infinite Squirrel tokens entering and dying, and the ability to shrink opponents’ creatures down to nothing.

Variations – You can use Blood Artist or Zulaport Cutthroat to drain life every time a squirrel dies. Pitiless Plunderer already floods you with Treasures for any mana needs.

Execution – Use Chatterfang's ability to pay a black mana and sacrifice a squirrel. That sacrifice makes Pitiless Plunderer create a Treasure, which also makes another squirrel thanks to Chatterfang. Use the Treasure to pay for Chatterfang again, sacrificing the new squirrel, and repeat. Each loop gives you a Treasure and a Squirrel, so you can go infinite on mana, creature deaths, and toughness reductions on enemy boards.

#4. Chain of Smog + Witherbloom Apprentice

Cards – Chain of Smog; Witherbloom Apprentice

Prerequisites – Witherbloom Apprentice is in play, and you have Chain of Smog in hand, with available.

Result – Infinite life drain for all opponents and infinite lifegain for you.

Variations – You can use Professor Onyx instead of Witherbloom Apprentice.

Execution – Cast Chain of Smog targeting yourself. Witherbloom Apprentice drains everyone for 1. When Chain of Smog resolves, copy it targeting yourself again (you can copy Chain of Smog with no cards in hand). You can keep copying it forever, and the Apprentice's magecraft ability keeps draining opponents until they’re gone.

#3. Peregrin Took + Experimental Confectioner

Cards – Peregrin Took; Experimental Confectioner

Prerequisites – Both Peregrin Took and Experimental Confectioner are on the battlefield with at least three Food tokens to start.

Result – Infinite card draw, near-infinite rat tokens, and an endless supply of Food tokens.

Variations – Add Mirkwood Bats to turn Food sacrifices into damage, or Nadier's Nightblade to drain life when the tokens die.

Execution – Sacrifice three Foods to Peregrin Took’s ability to draw a card. That triggers Experimental Confectioner three times, giving you three rats and three new Foods. You’ve replaced the Foods you spent and picked up extra creatures, so you can just do it again and again — drawing cards while filling the board with rats.

#2. Chatterfang + Warren Soultrader + Zulaport Cutthroat

Cards – Chatterfang, Squirrel General; Warren Soultrader; Zulaport Cutthroat

Prerequisites – All three cards are on the battlefield. You have at least one other creature to start the loop and at least 2 life to work with.

Result – Infinite Treasure, infinite Squirrel tokens, infinite death triggers, and infinite life drain plus lifegain.

Variations – Any card that drains your opponents when a creature dies, like Blood Artist and Bastion of Remembrance, can replace Zulaport Cutthroat.

Execution – Pay 1 life to Warren Soultrader, sacrificing a creature. You get a Treasure, and thanks to Chatterfang, a Squirrel token. Zulaport Cutthroat drains each opponent and gains you 1 life, offsetting the Soultrader cost. Sacrifice the new Squirrel to repeat the process forever. This is very similar to the Pitiless Plunderer, but it doesn’t require any initial mana to activate.

#1. The Gitrog Monster + Dakmor Salvage

Cards – The Gitrog Monster; Dakmor Salvage

Prerequisites – The Gitrog Monster is on the field, Dakmor Salvage is in your hand, and you have more cards in hand than your max hand size so you’ll discard during cleanup.

Result – Mill your entire library, setting up graveyard-based wins like Dread Return into Thassa's Oracle, or stock your yard for reanimation and recursion.

Variations – Skirge Familiar can turn this into infinite black mana by discarding Dakmor Salvage for mana, dredging it back, and repeating.

Execution – At cleanup, discard Dakmor Salvage or use the likes of Skirge Familiar to discard it. The Gitrog Monster triggers and would draw you a card, but you dredge Dakmor Salvage instead, milling two cards. You still have too many cards in hand, so you start another cleanup and discard Dakmor Salvage again. This mills you endlessly until your library’s gone.

Wrap Up

Ygra, Eater of All | Illustration by Chris Rahn

Golgari might be best known for its grindy value and graveyard synergies, but it can also win out of nowhere when left unchecked. Whether you want infinite mana or to sacrifice a creature forever, there’s a combo for you!

Which combo stood out to you the most? Was there an interaction you hadn’t seen before today? Let us know in the comments!

I hope you found this rundown helpful, and if you want to keep up with all things MTG, don’t forget to follow us on social media or join our newsletter for more content.

As always, take care, and I’ll catch you in the next one!