Its worth noting that the cards included Energy cards aside arent tournament legal, which does limit their usage somewhat
Not only were a ton of Commander cards present in the main set, but the Final Fantasy Commander decks had way more mechanically unique cards than usual
The hype around rarities such as SAR and UR influences card design and collector habits in future expansions
Sometimes it's a mechanical connection, sometimes it's more to do with the story, and sometimes it's to do with the development of the set
On reveal, Gandalf the Grey felt like an oddly colored card, lacking white mana to represent the character's fondness for peace, protection and benevolence, with Izzet colors representing reckless, creative innovation and experimentation
It serves as the primary 'Bookend' card to the Gengar ex, creating a dual-chase dynamic reminiscent of the 'Evolving Skies' Umbreon/Rayquaza split