Run and Hide Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to you and creatures you control this turn
Burn spells like Thunder Magic get cranked up to 11 this way, and if you can also get Kefka, Court Mage in play and transformed, you should have no shortage of spells to cast
Finally, some typal decks like angels, clerics, cats, vampires, and bats benefit more from lifegain than others
It gets even more exciting with token doublers like Mondrak, Glory Dominus
Modified "Build awesome monsters" is one of the core principles of game design
Kitchen Finks I debated whether or not Finks was applicable for this list, not because he is white but because of the kind of value he offers