The total deal of a 4/4, a 1(3 as crew)/1, a treasure, and three cards is well worth the 8 mana total cost given that you can break it up into small chunks at your convenience
Threshold Whenever Kiora attacks, if there are seven or more cards in your graveyard, you may create Scion of the Deep, a legendary 8/8 blue Octopus creature token
Additionally, more cards like this could make MTG needlessly complicated, and mechanics like Exile don't feel fun to lose to
That means spells like Lightning Bolt, Chaos Warp, or Vandalblast get a second life, no mana needed
While there were several competing styles of Survival decks around the time of its banning, the one that really ignited the controversy was Calebs Vengevine/Survival deck that would quickly put all its Vengevines into the graveyard, then play a couple of Basking Rootwallas for free, leading to extremely backbreaking assaults (frequently in the air, thanks to Wonder) that were immune to most forms of interaction
As mighty dragonstorms plunge Tarkir into turmoil and fierce dragons dominate the skies, the five clans join forces with their newfound Spirit Dragons in a bat