As a result, I expect many games to be decided through good old-fashioned combat - and casting a combat trick or two on a decisive turn may be enough to swing games to your favor
Thankfully, playability isnt always relevant when it comes to high-end collectible cards like this, as rarity is what matters
The cards mechanics and flavor are suitable, why couldnt a Wizard turn someone into a Chicken instead of a Frog
Four mana for a simple discard effect, even if it does pick away one for two mana each, is just not really usable anymore, not even in Limited
In a way, good artifacts are a bit like the proverbial one-eyed person in the land of the blind: While their effect may be not amazing when compared with the best colored cards, that effect is great on the opposite side of the color pie
This gives the designers a much smaller environment to attempt to balance