Whenever you activate an ability of an artifact or creature that isn't a mana ability, if one or more permanents were sacrificed to activate it, you may copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy. (Sacrificing an artifact for mana to activate an ability doesn't count.)
Build a sacrifice-fueled engine where you pay sac costs to activate artifact and creature abilities, then copy them for free thanks to Ashnod. You generate tokens to feed those activations and snowball value—doubling damage pings, card draw, removal, and reanimation triggers until the table dies to incremental advantage. Most games end by chaining copied activations into a lethal loop or an oversized payoff.
Free copies of powerful activated abilities effectively double every sac-cost engine you run
Deep synergy with token producers and artifact value pieces in a flexible Grixis shell
Deathtouch makes her a passable blocker and combat deterrent
Enables explosive combo turns and value snowballs from a single activation
Many abilities are colorless engines that any artifact deck can run, so the payoff lives on the commander—she's removal-bait
Needs sacrifice fodder and the right activated-ability outlets together to function
Five mana and no immediate board impact when she enters
Vulnerable to graveyard hate and stax that taxes activated abilities
With a recursion outlet, sac-and-copy effects let you blow up multiple permanents repeatedly.
Lean into tight infinite combos—pair free token/mana generators with a sac-cost damage or mill outlet so a single copy ends the game. Add fast mana (Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, the various Altars) and protection like Lightning Greaves to keep Ashnod alive, since the engine collapses without her. Tutors such as Demonic and Gamble plus artifact recursion (Goblin Welder, Daretti) make your combos consistent and resilient.