the same is true nowadays if you play draft or sealed formats of Magic, which can be thrilling, unpredictable and have a much more level playing field
The only reason Sway isnt even more expensive right now is because its effect is more unfun than it is overpowered. Playing Sway effectively restarts the game (which most players hate), without even guaranteeing that the caster will end up in a better position than the other players at the table
You get to do all the big mana things with this elder dragon
This is our very first Manticore, and being a slightly-more-obscure mythological creature, I am so happy that Manticores were allowed to keep their race unique instead of being folded into the Sphinxes or something
We knew that life loss was acceptable, if it led to large enough advantages in other areas of the game
Selenia Much like Crovax, the Phyrexian angel Selenia deserves some far better treatment