This black clerics first ability is simply ridiculous: For the meager cost of a single life point you get a sac outlet, a way to place -1/-1 counters on other creatures, and card draw
This approach has informed our design and development process, as all the play testing and stress testing of the cards has been done by veteran TCG players to make sure there are lots of combos, synergies, and decks to find in each set. The bonus of having the Disney library to work with, Miller says, is that players can intuitively put together a deck of their favorite characters and still have a fun, engaging experience. Lorcanas D23 reveal has already been a huge success, with cards from the event already selling on the second-hand market at huge markups
You dont have to do anything to get Heartwood Storyteller going, your opponents just have to cast noncreature spells to let everyone else draw cards
In my opinion, black decks have a distinct advantage as they have access to one extra Gate
For example, a player or a creature that has protection from everything cant be the target of a Lightning Bolt or a Fireball
There are plenty of ways to let it attack as though it didnt have defender to get the buff anyway