Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Thermopod + Safehold Elite

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

Thermopod

Safehold Elite

How it works

1. Activate Thermopod by sacrificing Safehold Elite.
2. When Safehold Elite dies, its persist ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
3. Activate Thermopod by sacrificing Safehold Elite.
4. When Safehold Elite dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
5. Repeat.

This clever loop relies on a clever mechanical counter-interaction to generate an endless stream of red mana and triggers. Safehold Elite acts as the engine's recurring heart, cycling between the graveyard and the battlefield thanks to two contrasting mechanics: its own persist ability brings it back with a -1/-1 counter, while Mikaeus, the Unhallowed grants it undying to return it with a +1/+1 counter whenever the prior counter is negated. Because these two opposing counters annihilate each other state-based-action-wise upon re-entry, the Elite can infinitely alternate between dying states. Finally, Thermopod effortlessly converts this perpetual motion into a bountiful supply of red mana by turning each sacrifice directly into fuel.