After all, without it, the threats you play may be completely ineffectual
The closest comparison is Mondrak, Glory Dominus, and getting one extra token and weaker, more mana-intensive protection doesnt seem worth the costs
Of course, creatures are just an exampleyou can build your deck in the same way but with instants, sorceries, enchantments, or whatever card type your desire, as long as you have enough cyclers
The Shocklands Obviously the shocklands are the most important cards in the set for Standard
If we add Ashnod's AltarAshnod's Altar to the mix, we can draw as many cards as we like and bring forth a plague of biblical proportions
Its flexibility - providing ramp in controlling decks and a hard-hitting evasive creature in more aggro strategies - has allowed it to find a home among many of the best decks