@dalaranunion
Just to confirm, you are making changes to the /EFI partition on the drive you installed the OS too? Not the Bootable USB.
APFS error sounds like you don't have the correct items in the EFI partition. Make sure you have all the items I listed in the proper folders. The ApfsDeiverLoader driver goes in the EFI/EFI/CLOVER/Driver/UEFI folder
Path should be EFI/EFI/CLOVER/ [then path below]
KEXT/Other Folder
- AppleALC
- CalDigitHDProDrv
- EnergyDriver
- IntelMausiEthernet
- Lilu
- FakeSMC
- FakeSMC*various sensors*
Driver/UEFI Folder
- ApfsDeiverLoader
- AudioDxe
- DataHubDxe
- FSInject
- OsxAptioFix3Drv
- PartitionDxe
- SMCHelper
- vBoxHfs
ACPI/patched Folder
- SSDT-EC
- SSDT-PMC
- SSDT-UIAC (aml/dsl)
- SSD-USBX