It was run-of-the-mill, to be frank, and only as the game has gone along have we picked up things such as sentient machines, eldritch monstrosities and now even fairy tales, Norse myths and a plethora of other genres of fantasy
While it is a decent removal option for creatures with mana value 3 or greater, there are more versatile removal spells like Fatal Push or Murder that can target any creature regardless of its mana value, making them potentially better choices depending on the deck's strategy
Varina, Lich Queen (Linda), Field of the Dead (Cabin of the Dead), Vanquish the Horde (Destroy the Dead)
The Elementals had an activation theme so the lord allowed Elementals to share activated abilities
Its a nice counter to a go-wide strategy (we see you,Squirrel Girl), while also giving you some villain synergy with the option to connive at the cost of three life
PIONEER FORMAT Why Play This Format