Beginner-friendly Starting out fresh in such a competitive market must be unnerving
A card reprinted in multiple sets, or with new art, new card frames, new flavor text all of these are examples of a gameplay design, game balance, or artistic design decision
Baral's deck uses support creatures like Lullmage Mentor, Archmage Emeritus, and Talrand, Sky Summoner to get additional value from so many counterspells, which puts this deck ahead slowly but surely
You can treat the four-stage summons like Ifrit and Summon: Fat Chocobo as creatures on your curve, while 3-stage summons are more akin to spells
Even back when I was running Doran, the Siege Tower (with copious fixing) and double Ajani Pridemate Nyx-Fleece Ram wasn't worth picking higher