Defiler of Faith + Ajani's Welcome + The Immortal Sun + Whitemane Lion

Defiler of Faith

Ajani's Welcome

The Immortal Sun

Whitemane Lion

How it works

1. Cast Whitemane Lion by paying 0 and 2 life due to Defiler of Faith and The Immortal Sun.
2. Defiler of Faith triggers, creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token.
3. When the Soldier enters, Ajani's Welcome triggers, causing you to gain life.
4. Resolve Whitemane Lion. When it enters, it and Ajani's Welcome trigger.
5. Resolve the Whitemane Lion trigger, returning it from the battlefield to your hand.
6. Resolve the Ajani's Welcome trigger, causing you to gain life.
7. Repeat.

This elegant loop relies on stacking cost reductions to cast Whitemane Lion for free, turning it into a self-returning engine. With both Defiler of Faith and The Immortal Sun lowering creature spell costs by a total of three mana, the Lion's mana requirement is completely wiped out, allowing you to pay its life cost instead. Every time the Cat Soldier enters the battlefield, it triggers its own return effect—targeting itself—while Defiler of Faith pumps out a 1/1 white Soldier creature token. That token's arrival triggers Ajani's Welcome to pad your life total, creating an endless cycle of creature entries, exits, and life gain that scales your storm count infinitely.