Heliod, Sun-Crowned

Gameplan

Heliod is a mono-white lifegain engine that turns every point of life gained into a +1/+1 counter, snowballing your board or assembling combos. Early turns deploy lifelink creatures and cheap enchantments, then you grant lifelink and gain life repeatedly to either grow threats or loop infinite damage. You win by either going wide with counter-boosted creatures or by deploying a two-card infinite combo.

Key Cards

• Walking Ballista — With Heliod it gains lifelink, removes a counter to deal damage, gains life, and replaces the counter for infinite damage.
• Heliod's combo enabler—Spike Feeder — Remove counters to gain 2 life with Heliod's lifelink loop for infinite life and infinite counters.
• Soul Warden — Each creature entering triggers lifegain, fueling Heliod's counter engine across the board.
• Archangel of Thune — Pairs with lifegain to pump the whole team and combos with Spike Feeder for infinite +1/+1 counters.
• Sun Titan — Recurs Walking Ballista, Soul Warden, and other cheap combo pieces from the yard for resilience.

Upgrade Path

Tighten the combo package with tutors like Enlightened Tutor, Idyllic Tutor, and Recruiter of the Guard to find Walking Ballista, plus Sun Titan and recursion for resilience. Add fast mana (Sol Ring, mana rocks) and protection like Heroic Intervention and Teferi's Protection to defend the combo turn. Improve card advantage with Welcoming Vampire, Mentor of the Meek, and Skullclamp to avoid running out of gas.