Volcano Hellion + Vault of the Archangel

Volcano Hellion

Vault of the Archangel

How it works

1. Cast Volcano Hellion by paying 2.
2. When Volcano Hellion enters the battlefield, it triggers.
3. Holding priority, activate Vault of the Archangel's second ability by paying 2 and tapping it, giving creatures you control deathtouch and lifelink until end of turn.
4. Resolve the Volcano Hellion trigger, dealing an arbitrarily large amount of damage to you and Volcano Hellion, and causing you to gain twice that much life due to Volcano Hellion's lifelink.

This clever loop turns Volcano Hellion's self-inflicted damage into an overwhelming life-total swing by leaning on Vault of the Archangel's activated ability. When Volcano Hellion enters the battlefield, its triggered ability deals damage that cannot be prevented to both you and itself; because Vault of the Archangel has already granted your creatures lifelink, the damage dealt to you is simultaneously cancelled out and doubled by the life gained. By choosing an arbitrarily large number for this damage, you instantly skyrocket your life total into the thousands while securing a massive cushion to weather any subsequent threats.