List of Compact Combos

[Malchar]

Since I like figuring these things out, inkmoth nexus + hatred would clock in at 2 cards, 0 chaff, and 7 "mana" when you count the foregone opportunity of tapping the nexus. Also, it appears to be vulnerable to almost every possible hate card category: land removal, creature removal, artifact removal, counterspells, pithing needle, meddling mage, and gaddock teeg to name a few. I wonder if a two-card combo exists which is also vulnerable to enchantment removal and graveyard hate. It would be kind of interesting to come up with one that was vulnerable to everything.

I'll also add that hatred, even on its own, is very dirty in EDH.

[rufus]

How about Mogg Alarm+Mass Polymorph -> Kiki-Jiki/Pestermite or something similar. 6 mana, 2 cards (plus 2 mountains) 2 chaff cards in the deck.

[MaximumC]

I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned Volcano Hellion yet. If they did, I missed it and I am sorry.

As a 6/5 for 4 that also functions as removal, this card is already decent. However, it has received tons of love in recent sets.

Volcano Hellion + Boros Reckoner / Mogg Fanatic / Spitemare / Stuffy Doll= Deal an arbitrarily large amount of damage to you and your opponent. If you have more life, you win. Otherwise, draw.

Volcano Hellion + Nearhearth Pilgrim / Anything that can grant Lifelink to Hellion before his etb ability resolves = You win in a big, sloppy, lifelinky explosion.

[Malchar]

In your first example, you can't actually have a draw. When the hellion ability resolves and deals damage to you and to a reckoner, the reckoner triggers, but if you have zero life at this time, you lose before the reckoner ability is placed on the stack.

Also note that in your second example, you can gain an arbitrarily large amount of life using just the pilgrim and hellion together, but you need a reckoner effect in order to kill the opponent outright.

Also, if they remove the target of the hellion's ability, the entire ability is countered, so you won't take any damage.

[-Spooky-]

I'm kind of surprised no one has mentioned Volcano Hellion yet. If they did, I missed it and I am sorry.

As a 6/5 for 4 that also functions as removal, this card is already decent. However, it has received tons of love in recent sets.

Volcano Hellion + Boros Reckoner / Mogg Fanatic / Spitemare / Stuffy Doll= Deal an arbitrarily large amount of damage to you and your opponent. If you have more life, you win. Otherwise, draw.

Volcano Hellion + Nearhearth Pilgrim / Anything that can grant Lifelink to Hellion before his etb ability resolves = You win in a big, sloppy, lifelinky explosion.

Maybe I just don't know the game well enough, but how does the hellion combo with Mogg Fanatic? I'm not seeing any sort of interaction.

[Ziveeman]

Maybe I just don't know the game well enough, but how does the hellion combo with Mogg Fanatic? I'm not seeing any sort of interaction.

Probably means Mogg Maniac.

[rufus]

Maybe I just don't know the game well enough, but how does the hellion combo with Mogg Fanatic? I'm not seeing any sort of interaction.

He probably meant Mogg Maniac.

I'd think something like Swans of Bryn Argoll would work better with Volcano Hellion which has a bit of a high-cc issue, but only takes 2 cards.

[Koby]

What is the most mana efficient two card combo?

[jamis]

I'd have to say entomb + reanimate. As far as the ones that win on the spot, I'm not really sure. I think the majority of the ones that see play are 4 mana. I guess, show+tell is 3 mana. I can't think of anything that matches or beats entomb + reanimates 2 mana cost.

[LinkXwing]

What is the most mana efficient two card combo?

Brainstorm + Fetchland.

[pavlaugh]

Vampire Hexmage (BB) + Dark Depths (0) is pretty mana efficient but easily disruptable -- more or less than entomb/reanimate, I'm not sure...

Also doesn't win on the spot the way Helm (4) + RIP (2) does.

[Malchar]

What is the most mana efficient two card combo?

Since the thread is getting pretty large, I figured I'd go through and make a list for easy reference. For now, I have only included 2-card combos, and I didn't bother writing down anything that costs 6 mana or more.

I'll present the combos using the standard notation: mana/cards/chaff. I've broken up the mana requirements if they can be paid in separate installments over multiple turns. I've also listed all the cards in the combo followed by the chaff in parentheses. Some of them don't kill outright, but since the list is pretty compact, I figured I might as well include them. In general, I haven't included strictly worse versions of the same combo. Let me know if there are any errors or other things that I should add.

2:1+1/2/0 phyrexian dreadnought + stifle.
2:1+1/2/0 about face + tireless tribe.

3:1+2/2/? entomb + shallow grave, (something).
3:1+2/2/7 cephalid illusionist + shuko, (3x narcomoeba, dread return, necrotic ooze, phyrexian devourer, triskelion).
3/2/? show and tell + something.
3*/2/0 dark depths + vampire hexmage, *dark depths takes up a land drop but cannot be tapped for mana.

4:3+1/2/1 skill borrower + worldly tutor, (kiki-jiki, mirror breaker).
4:3+1/2/3 buried alive + reanimate, (necrotic ooze, phyrexian devourer, triskelion).
4/2/1 natural order + green creature, (progenitus).
4/2/1 erratic explosion + worldly tutor, (draco).
4/2/4 aluren + imperial recruiter, (imperial recruiter, dream stalker, cavern harpy, ghitu slinger).

5:2+3/2/0 fire covenant + mogg maniac.
5:2+3/2/0 aphetto alchemist + wake thrasher.
5:2+3/2/7 basalt monolith + mesmeric orb, (3x narcomoeba, dread return, necrotic ooze, phyrexian devourer, triskelion).
5:3+2/2/5 doomsday + lotus petal, (conjurer's bauble, grapeshot, lion's eye diamond, predict, second sunrise).
5:4+1/2/0 helm of obedience + leyline of the void.
5/2/? sneak attack or through the breach + something.

[DragoFireheart]

Are we allowed to post janky combos?

Pyromancer's Swath + Flame Jab = Every land is a Lightning Bolt.

[MaximumC]

The new Legend Rule has given rise to some new combos:

Yosei + Followed Footsteps // Progenitor Mimic = Opponent gets no untap steps and you get to tap five things down each turn.
Dark Depths + Thespian Stage = Marit Lage.

Additionally, Scapeshift now acts as a tutor for both parts of the Marit Lage combo. You Scapeshift three lands into Ancient Tomb, Dark Depths, and Thespian Stage, which allows you to go Marit Lage right away.

(edit) Here's some more I haven't seen in this thread yet:

Zhur Taa Druid gives you a couple of instant-kill combos as long as you can finagle it that you're tapping him for blue:

Zhur-Taa Druid + Freed From the Real // Pemmin's Aura + Paradise Mantle // Multani's Harmony // Utopia Vow // (that snake druid that filters G into U) = Infinite ping.

And along the same lines:

Bloom Tender + Freed From the Real // Pemmin's Aura = Infinite green mana.

Also, have we mentioned the Illusionist's Bracers combos yet?

Aphetto Alchemists // Seeker of Skybreak + Illusionist's Bracers = Infinite untaps, either for creatures or for creatures and artifacts.

[rufus]

The new Legend Rule has given rise to some new combos:

Yosei + Followed Footsteps // Progenitor Mimic = Opponent gets no untap steps and you get to tap five things down each turn.
Dark Depths + Thespian Stage = Marit Lage.

Additionally, Scapeshift now acts as a tutor for both parts of the Marit Lage combo. You Scapeshift three lands into Ancient Tomb, Dark Depths, and Thespian Stage, which allows you to go Marit Lage right away.

You'd still have to wait for the untap... Here's some another combo using the new rules:

Sharuum the Hegemonx2+Disciple of the Vault

[Megadeus]

I dont think that works does it?

[Koby]

You'd still have to wait for the untap... Here's some another combo using the new rules:

Sharuum the Hegemonx2+Disciple of the Vault

I believe this one worked under the old rules too. It also works with either Sculpting Steel and Phyrexian Metamorph too, increasing the possible setups.

Cast/reanimate Sharuum, trigger on 2nd Sharuum. Second Sharuum enters, state-based actions put duplicate legend into graveyard, then stack trigger, returning same Sharuum back onto the battlefield.

[PirateKing]

Double Sharuum the Hegemon worked before as well. Before it went:

Sharuum A out.
Sharuum B enters the battlefield. Trigger.
Legend rule kills both before trigger can resolve.
Trigger resolves, brings back A. Trigger.
Trigger resolves, brings back B.
Repeat.

Now with the new rule only one dies, but again, before the trigger can resolve. So:

Sharuum A out.
Sharuum B enters the battlefield. Trigger.
Legend rule kills one of your choice before trigger can resolve.
Trigger resolves, brings the dead one back. Trigger.
Repeat.

[Megadeus]

Oh so State Based Actions happend before the target of the ability?

[rufus]

I dont think that works does it?

Ah, right, it can't target a card that's not in the graveyard yet.