Games just finish faster in these environments, and the ramp that mana dorks deliver in early turns is almost always worth the risk of having these effects stapled to weak creatures
Gandalf also has a third card in the previously shown art for Gandalf, Friend of the Shire when I asked Cartagena why Gandalf had so many renditions in the set, he told me that it gives them an opportunity to explore the character more, and that Tolkiens rich storytelling allowed us to explore how Gandalf (and others) present themselves to different allies and at different times throughout the story. If youre hungry for more, you wont have to wait long, as a WeeklyMTG livestream on Tuesday, March 10 at 10am PT will have further details and reveals from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (which is available for pre-order now)
This means if one player at your table is attacking another player, even if it isn't you, you'll still buff one of their attacking creatures by +X/+X
Give your tokens a little Zombie loving with Zombie lords
This leaves out Assassin's Trophy, Abrupt Decay, and other destroy target permanent cards
Not only does it produce mana, but it functions well in a variety of situations
