Myojin-Rhino: infinite tokens for 35 cents, bracket 4

Thesis: at €0.35, this is probably the best cost-to-impact combo you'll see reviewed this month. It doesn't close out the game on its own, but it produces a board state that does.

The mechanism

• Get Myojin of Cryptic Dreams into play with its indestructible counters.
• Cast Proud Pack-Rhino, paying its mana cost.
• Holding priority on the stack, activate Myojin of Cryptic Dreams's ability, removing an indestructible counter to copy the Proud Pack-Rhino spell three times.
• Resolve the first copy: Proud Pack-Rhino's trigger (its enter/death trigger tied to the token cycle) generates value that fuels the resolution of the subsequent copies, closing the loop.
• The net result is a token-generation engine that sustains itself as long as Myojin of Cryptic Dreams has counters left to spend and you have mana to recast Proud Pack-Rhino when needed.

The technical weak point is exactly this: Myojin of Cryptic Dreams has a finite number of indestructible counters. This isn't a pure zero-mana loop; it's a "resource" loop — every activation consumes a counter, so the combo has a ceiling imposed by the number of counters available on the creature at the time of activation. This makes it less of a textbook cEDH win-combo and more of an explosive value/board-state generator — fitting for a bracket 4 context, where you expect interaction but not yet the hard-optimized nature of pure cEDH.

Colors and commanders

Color identity: white/blue, derived from Myojin of Cryptic Dreams (blue) and Proud Pack-Rhino (white, from the Kamigawa cycle). So we're talking Azorius, with natural extensions into Esper or Bant if you want additional splashes for protection and recursion.

• Pure Azorius commanders: any control-value shell in UW appreciates a package that produces repeated bodies without depending on infinite mana — useful against board wipes, since you rebuild the board in one swing.
• Esper shell (UWB): adds protection via black disruption and recursion to bring Myojin of Cryptic Dreams back if it dies before you've emptied its counters.
• Bant shell (GWU): if you prefer a more aggro-token plan, green adds ramp to guarantee the mana to recast Proud Pack-Rhino multiple times in the same turn even before triggering the combo.
• Kamigawa-tribal legends decks: since both cards are from the Kamigawa block, a themed deck with counters/legendary synergies gets value out of Myojin of Cryptic Dreams even outside the combo, as a standalone card advantage piece.

Lines of play and protection

• Don't activate Myojin of Cryptic Dreams blindly: count the remaining indestructible counters before committing, since the loop stops once they run out.
• Always keep a second Proud Pack-Rhino in hand or fetch one with cheap tutors: the combo is repeatable turn after turn, you don't need to close it out in one shot.
• Against instant-speed removal targeting Myojin of Cryptic Dreams, only play the first activation when you already have mana open to protect the creature or to recast the spell regardless.
• If you're playing in a context with frequent wraths (you'll see them in bracket 4), prefer triggering the line at the end of your opponent's turn or when you've already stabilized a board sufficient to not fear the follow-up edict.
• Remember: the priority interaction needs to be handled precisely — if you mistime it and let Proud Pack-Rhino resolve before activating Myojin of Cryptic Dreams, you lose the window to copy it.

Budget vs Premium

There isn't really a "premium" version here: the entire combo costs €0.35, down from an already ridiculous starting price. Myojin of Cryptic Dreams dropped from €0.42 to €0.28 and Proud Pack-Rhino from €0.11 to €0.07, a 34% drop in 14 days that probably reflects supplemental printings or simply a lack of competitive demand. If you want to "upgrade" the combo, the investment should go into tutors to find it and protection/recursion for Myojin of Cryptic Dreams, not into the two core pieces.

Verdict

Two cards, 35 cents, a recurring but not strictly infinite token engine: bracket 4 is the correct placement, don't promise yourself a one-card cEDH win. Near-zero-cost investment, concrete upside in any Azorius deck that needs to rebuild its board after a wrath. Recommended without hesitation at that price.