Pointed Discussion

this plus transcendence equals infinite red

@Gallega: If you have a way to destroy/sacrifice Transcendence at instant speed, you can actually get infinite and infinite life. Let's say you start at 3 life.

Step 1: Pay 3 life to Treasonous Ogre. (0 life, 1 mana)
Step 2: Transcendence triggers and resolves. (6 life, 1 mana)
Step 3: Pay 6 life to the Ogre. (0 life, 3 mana)
Step 4: Transcendence triggers twice; let one resolve. (6 life, 3 mana)
Step 5: While the other Transcendence trigger is on the stack, pay 6 life to the Ogre. (0 life, 5 mana)
Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have your desired amount of mana. (0 life, 1337 mana)
Step 7: With all of the Transcendence triggers on the stack, get rid of Transcendence. (0 life, 1337 mana)
Step 8: Let all of the Transcendence triggers resolve. (4014 life, 1337 mana)

Remember, you can't pay more life than you have.

I've always liked the combo engines that are good but not overpowered.

Repay in Kind

I guess the ability is meant to be used so you are never the player with most life or tied with most life.

@the_nonaffiliated: Not quite infinite. But a lot. You'd die eventually.

EDIT: @Continue: You are quite correct. Forgot that you can pay life gained from transcendence. :P

This + Platinum Angel, Phyrexian Unlife, or Lich (off the top of my head) is infinite red mana.

Even without the combos, life for mana is a resource swap that is pretty broken in formats like EDH.

For example (In EDH):

T4: Mountain, Treasonous Ogre, Pay 30 life, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth

And then you get dethrone triggers with Scourge of the Throne

What in the world? This guy came out of nowhere. But he is very welcome.

Sneak Attack.

Pay life for mana, and that's that? That's asking for trouble.