If an effect allows an opponent to cast spells any time they could cast an instant (for example, if your opponent controls Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir), the restriction of Teferi's last ability takes precedence over that permission
For one thing, life advantage doesnt translate well into other aspects of the game, such as having more cards in hand than your opponent or having better creatures on the battlefield
That nulls the effect of dying by sacrificing the aura instead, protecting your valuable creature
Broadly, there are two types of counterspells in Magic: hard and soft. Hard counters stop spells in their tracks without any restrictions, while soft spells either only stop the spell temporarily, or have an option to bypass the counter
Ashcoat of the Shadow Swarm | Illustration by Christina Kraus Rat is a creature type in Magic that's been around since the very first set
This unusual rarity distribution could be having some impact on early values