Olivia, Mobilized for War + Umbral Collar Zealot + Smothering Abomination

Olivia, Mobilized for War

Umbral Collar Zealot

Smothering Abomination

How it works

1. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing the persist creature.
2. When the persist creature dies, it and Smothering Abomination trigger.
3. Resolve the Smothering Abomination trigger, causing you to draw a card.
4. Resolve the persist creature's trigger, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
5. When the persist creature enters the battlefield, Olivia triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on the persist creature and causing you to discard a card.
6. Resolve the Umbral Collar Zealot ability.
7. Repeat.

This ingenious loop turns a persist creature's recursive nature into a self-sustaining engine by leveraging the sacrifice outlet of Umbral Collar Zealot. Every iteration is fueled and rewarded by Smothering Abomination, which turns each sacrifice into a drawn card while demanding a constant stream of fodder at your upkeep. Meanwhile, Olivia, Mobilized for War steps in whenever the creature returns, using its entry to let you discard a card and cancel out the persist-induced -1/-1 counter with a +1/+1 counter.