If you can find a way of untapping Thriss repeatedly, such as Seedborn Muse, you can make use of his ability multiple times per turn cycle, making combat with you a prospect your opponents wont want to face
That said, unless you have town synergies, you dont need to pick Capital City highly, though its likely better than most mediocre commons
This shaman is just packed with value
It was also the year when Wizards decided to fix Necropotence by printing Yawgmoth's Bargain, which somehow ended up being even more broken than the original since you get the cards right away rather than having to wait until your end step
The rarity of art cards depends on the individual set youre discussing
Although, Id prefer playing it as a creature in a Davros, Dalek Creator deck