Second, the deckbuilding restrictions needed to make this work are real and not really worth it with so many good alternatives about
As a 2-drop, you should be able to get Giada into play early in the game, which really makes a difference
You dont even need to be making flashy plays with Raul
The Headliner Era and Market Fatigue Wizards of the Coast also created the Headliner strategy for reprint sets
This card is a really good payoff for enrage engines
Meanwhile, Serra Ascendant takes a bit of work to get going, but cards like Ajani, Strength of the Pride and Linden, the Steadfast Queen have the potential to gain big amounts of life at once, especially if we have an Angel of Vitality on the battlefield, whichcombined with smaller amounts of life from Impassioned Orator, Soul Warden, and friendscan turn Serra Ascendant into a huge lifelinking flier pretty quickly