Its long, powerful, serpentine body doesnt translate very well
Yes, the actual play in game is key, but theres simply too much in the format to know by heart for one duelist to prepare for, so instead its best to arrive at a given duel with the best version of a strategy that you can
For example, in a RW aggro deck , if youre playing The One Ring, youll want cards like Winds of Abandon and other mass removal to maximize its value
I personally prefer this card as part of the 99 and not as a commander, but its still a strong card to build around
The regenerate and hexproof abilities return to hand to be used again if they should drop off or be used, and several of the removal abilities are tied to creatures I can then kill off, bring back as lands, and then use again
Equip it on a 1/1 creature, and immediately draw two cards