Doomsday + Commander's Sphere + Bolas's Citadel + Aetherflux Reservoir + Black Sun's Zenith

5-card combo · B

Verdict

Yes — this Doomsday pile converts a single Commander's Sphere activation into an Aetherflux Reservoir kill from as low as 11 life.

Cards required: 5
Cheapest stack total: $40.21
Color identity: B
Popularity: 134 decks
Format: Commander

Buy required cards on TCGplayer

Doomsday stacks the entire win condition into five cards: Bolas's Citadel lets the top of the library pay life instead of mana, Black Sun's Zenith shuffles itself back to replay as the storm engine, and Aetherflux Reservoir converts the growing spell count into life faster than the Citadel drains it. Commander's Sphere is the bridge — it taps for the mana to float before Doomsday resolves, then sacrifices to draw the first card off the freshly ordered pile. Once Reservoir is live and Black Sun's Zenith loops, every cast cycle nets life until the 50-life activation is paid and an opponent is dead.

Recipe

How it works

Prerequisites

You have at least 11 life.

Steps

Cast Doomsday by paying , searching your library and graveyard for Bolas's Citadel, Aetherflux Reservoir, two other cards with mana value 2 or less, and Black Sun's Zenith, and then placing the remaining cards on top of your library in the order previously listed and losing half your life, rounded up.
Activate Commander's Sphere's first ability by tapping it, adding one mana of any color.
Activate Commander's Sphere's second ability by sacrificing it, causing you to draw a card.
Cast Bolas's Citadel by paying .
Cast Aetherflux Reservoir from your library by paying 4 life.
Cast two other cards with mana value 2 or less.
Aetherflux Reservoir triggers, gaining you 1 life for each spell you have cast this turn.
Cast Black Sun's Zenith by paying 2 life and shuffling it into the library.
Aetherflux Reservoir triggers, gaining you 1 life for each spell you have cast this turn.
Repeat until your life total is 53 or greater.
Activate Aetherflux Reservoir by paying 50 life, dealing 50 damages to any target.
Repeat from step 8.

Result

Infinite damage; Infinite lifegain; Infinite lifegain triggers; Infinite storm count

Variations

Cheaper, tighter, alternate lines

The two filler slots in the pile should be the cheapest spells available in the deck — anything at mana value 1 or 0 costs 1 life off the Citadel and accelerates the Reservoir count fastest; Lotus Petal and Dark Ritual are canonical choices. Any draw spell that costs 1 or 2 life and cantrips also works as a filler if more cards are needed in hand. Outside the pile itself, Necropotence in the same shell feeds the Doomsday setup, and Lion's Eye Diamond pairs with any cantrip to float black mana through Doomsday resolution if Commander's Sphere isn't available.