Ivy Lane Denizen + Umbral Collar Zealot

Ivy Lane Denizen

Umbral Collar Zealot

How it works

1. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing the creature with persist.
2. The persist ability triggers, returning that creature to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
3. Ivy Lane Denizen triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on the persist creature.
4. Resolve the ability from step 1.
5. Repeat.

This clever loop relies on the constant interplay between a persist creature and Ivy Lane Denizen to generate infinite enters-the-battlefield and leaves-the-battlefield triggers alongside infinite surveil. By feeding your persist creature to Umbral Collar Zealot, you trigger the creature's return to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter, which is immediately canceled out by the +1/+1 counter granted by Ivy Lane Denizen's triggered ability. Because these two counters annihilate each other through state-based actions, the creature's slate is wiped clean of -1/-1 counters every single iteration, allowing you to sacrifice it to Umbral Collar Zealot over and over again without the persist mechanic ever running out of steam.