For me, the best decks score highly on the following axes: They added something new to the game, and just weren't another deck that played similar to many before and since
Showcase Scrolls of Middle-earth Cards: All new-to-Magic cards from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth (with set code LTR) released earlier this year, as well as rares and mythic rares from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Commander, in their non-Booster Fun versions feature this special showcase treatment
In some cases, the ETB is even a bit of an advantage, assuming you care about lands in your graveyard or have ways to replay the lands you sacrificed
(2023-11-10) You can sacrifice the creature with exploit if it's still on the battlefield
Killians ability to make Auras significantly cheaper to cast has sent players hunting for the best enchantment-based recursion and Retether is the gold standard
Dinosaurs in Space also has Suspend