With Doubling Season the + loyalty abilities do not add additional counters since the + ability is seen as a cost to do the ability, not the effect itself
The Mage offers some security against awkward lands and some disruption potential on an easy to cast body that ensures you won't ever have a dead spell
Where Grist really becomes overpowered is when used in combination with cards like Forever Young, which lets you put any number of creatures from the top of your deck into your graveyard
If you have been eyeing the archetype and want to know where to start, these five Legendaries offer the most generosity per mana, and each one has a very different plan for cashing that generosity in
The best discard commanders are the ones that turn it into something beneficial, although its not always just you or your opponent whos throwing away their hand
Creepiness aside, he seems like a cool recursive attacker who will continue to harass your opponents using the Armour of Shrieking Souls as long as you can make sure that their creatures keep leaving the battlefield