Stalwart Successor + Thermopod + Twilight Shepherd

Stalwart Successor

Thermopod

Twilight Shepherd

How it works

1. Activate Thermopod by sacrificing Twilight Shepherd
2. When Twilight Shepherd dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. When Twilight Shepherd enters, Stalwart Successor triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Twilight Shepherd
4. Repeat.

This clever loop turns Twilight Shepherd into an endless engine of sacrifice and rebirth, fueled by the melting power of Thermopod to generate infinite red mana and death triggers. Whenever Twilight Shepherd enters the battlefield, persist brings it back with a -1/-1 counter, but Stalwart Successor immediately steps in to neutralize that drawback by placing a +1/+1 counter on it instead. Because this counter placement is the first time counters have been put on the Shepherd that turn, the Successor's triggered ability successfully resolves, allowing the persistent angel to shrug off its -1/-1 counter and ready itself to be sacrificed to the Thermopod all over again.