The reason was that two of the most played cards in the format were Bloodbraid Elf and Lightning Bolt, two cards that lined up exceptionally well against Jace
This can let you get some high-cost characters out for a reduced price
Dark Depths and Marit Lage A land that produces no mana is always a strange sight, but at least the reason is obvious here: there is an enormous, otherworldly tentacle monster frozen inside the Dark Depths, suppressing or consuming its magical energy
As a set focused around tribes such as humans, spirits, vampires, and zombies, the set is full of great new tribal cards that players are sure to want for tribal Commander decks
So ultimately working against your opponent's resources is the point of both stax and ward, for which they'll likely have to chose between targeting your creature or attacking
Is an ape tribal deck possible, and decent