Thopter Squadron with three or more +1/+1 counters on it).
Mana Needed
({2} magic symbol) available.
Steps
Activate
Thopter Squadron's first ability twice by paying ({2} magic symbol) and removing two +1/+1 counters from it, creating two 1/1 Thopter artifact creature tokens.
Activate
Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Thopter, adding ({1} magic symbol) ,.
Crime Novelist triggers, causing you to add ({R} magic symbol) and put a +1/+1 counter on it.
Activate
Thopter Squadron's second ability by paying ({1} magic symbol) and sacrificing the other Thopter token.
Ashnod and
Crime Novelist trigger.
Resolve the
Crime Novelist trigger, adding ({R} magic symbol) and putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
Resolve the
Ashnod trigger, copying
Thopter Squadron's ability.
Resolve both
Thopter Squadron abilities, putting two +1/+1 counters on it,.