After being bullied at school, Dori embraced her creativity
No, alternatives like phyrexian mana, improvise, and convoke do not count toward expend because they are not spent mana
It's great in Rakdos with Prosper, or as a Background with Green's Durnan of the Yawning Portal
Syr Konrad, the Grim is a Throne of Eldraine favorite that watches those self-mills and reassembling from the graveyard and punishes opponents in the process
Since only black mana can be used for Crypt Rats, it's often played in decks that primarily use black mana, as the more colors you add, the harder it can be to activate
On the other hand, Ruric Thar really does slam the door on certain control decks, demanding that they have an immediate wrath (and even sometimes killing them if they do)