There are plenty of reasonable ways to convert Energy into value, like Longtusk Cub
It's not as if other colors won't have answers of their own, you know
Within a couple of years, Konami opted to import more contemporary cards, with massive and often convoluted effect text boxes
A big, beefy body (9/9) with three notable keywords (vigilance, reach, trample) that allows you untap all lands you control when it enters if cast plus three strong activated abilities means youll always be happy to throw this fatty down especially if you can cast it early via ramp
The best mono-green Commander cards in Magic: The Gathering involve surprisingly few creatures
The finished product In the end, Im really happy with this approach