Aetherflux Reservoir + Cloudstone Curio + Defiler of Instinct

R identity

Commander legal

The 3 combo pieces

What must be in place

Your life total is at least 5.
You have a red nonartifact permanent card in hand with mana cost {R}.
You control a nontoken nonartifact red permanent with mana cost {R} that shares a card type with the card in hand.

How to execute it

  1. Cast the red permanent card in your hand by paying 2 life.
  2. Defiler of Instinct and Aetherflux Reservoir triggers.
  3. Resolve the Defiler of Instinct trigger, dealing 1 damage to any target.
  4. Resolve the Aetherflux Reservoir trigger, causing you to gain 1 life for each spell you've cast before it this turn.
  5. The red permanent enters the battlefield, triggering Cloudstone Curio, returning another nontoken nonartifact red permanent with mana cost {R} from the battlefield to your hand.
  6. Repeat.

What the combo produces