Haste is great, Haste + Trample is even better
However, back in the day, lifegain was a big deal and that nostalgic viewing of Diamond Valley's playability contributed to it being one of the most valuable Arabian Nights cards
Trap Essence is a bit narrow compared to other counter spells, it only stops creature spells, but it then puts two +1/+1 counters on a creature
It also makes these cards easier to cast, which is important in preconstructed decks working with a very restrictive mana base
[14] The gold Inteleon from Evolving Skies sells for around $20
Slither Wing's first attack is mainly used to stall and disrupt the opponent, as it discards the top card of the opponent's deck, which is useful when dealing with cards like Ciphermaniac's Codebreaking that can place specific cards on the top of the deck