Mikaeus, the Unhallowed + Umbral Collar Zealot + Thunderblust

Mikaeus, the Unhallowed

Umbral Collar Zealot

Thunderblust

How it works

1. Activate Umbral Collar Zealot by sacrificing Thunderblust.
2. When Thunderblust 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 Thunderblust.
5. When Thunderblust 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 elegant loop relies on the opposing mechanical pressures of persist and undying to continuously recycle your threats. By sacrificing Thunderblust to Umbral Collar Zealot's ability, you trigger its persist ability to return it with a -1/-1 counter; however, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed grants it undying, so the next time it hits the graveyard, the +1/+1 counter it returns with will cancel out that -1/-1 counter due to state-based actions. This fascinating counter-annihilation lets you alternate endlessly between persist and undying triggers, fueling an infinite loop of sacrifices and surveils.