This was exacerbated at the end of 2024 when WotC announced that not only there would be 3 Magic Multiverse and 3 UB sets in 2025, but that UB sets would become Standard-legal for the first time
If you somehow can't discard a card (probably because you had no cards in hand and another effect prevented you from drawing cards), you won't put any counters on Cait no matter whether or not the defending player discarded a card or what that card's mana value is
Which were your favorite cards and synergies
Speaking of mana, Soporific Springs can be an untapped blue land, and those are well worth 3 life, just ask your opponents how much they like holding that zombie combo piece in their hand
However, this card gets a lot better in a giant deck
Double strike, haste At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, you may have that player gain control of Slicer until end of turn