Cards first get designed, drawn, and printed on a smaller scale to test out the game itself
As a control deck, you want to dissuade people from attacking you and protect your life total as much as possible
#16: 1st Edition Neo Genesis Lugia Image Source: Elite Fourum Beckett Pristine 10 Lack Beckett's grading standards reveal an extreme lack: just 3 of 762 Neo Genesis 1st Edition Lugia submissions earned Pristine 10 grades, representing a .04% ratio with no Black Labels awarded
Sephiroth on the other hand plays into the usual control strategies favored by Blue/Black by growing in strength for every opposing creature you remove from play
I came up with a very unique control deck that played into a really bizarre rules advantage of the time if you used Serrated Biskelions ability to give a creator a -1/-1 counter, you could phase out the Biskelion which meant your opponent received the counter, but your Biskelion wouldnt be there to weaken itself
They dont get their spell this turn, forcing them to reinvest mana, and they cant draw anything better than what you hit with this spell
