Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Umbral Collar Zealot + Scuzzback Marauders

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

Umbral Collar Zealot

Scuzzback Marauders

How it works

1. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing Scuzzback Marauders.
2. When Scuzzback Marauders dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. Resolve the Umbral Collar Zealot ability.
4. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing Scuzzback Marauders.
5. When Scuzzback Marauders dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
6. Resolve the Umbral Collar Zealot ability.
7. Repeat.

This ingenious loop thrives on the fascinating rules interaction between persist and undying, using Mikaeus, the Unhallowed to continuously grant Scuzzback Marauders the latter ability. Because Scuzzback Marauders naturally enters with a -1/-1 counter from persist, Mikaeus ensures its next death triggers undying instead, which places a +1/+1 counter that neatly annihilates the lingering -1/-1 counter through state-based actions. This alternating cycle lets you feed the creature endlessly to Umbral Collar Zealot, turning a simple sacrifice outlet into an infinite engine for death triggers and surveil.