Its best when paired with creatures that trigger off attacks or at the beginning of combat, like Hellrider and Akroma, Vision of Ixidor
Using it in response to a kill spell can effectively counter it, permanents with protection can be very difficult to deal with, and there are a bunch more interactions out there to learn
Elspeth Resplendent Elspeth Resplendent ensures your creatures reach their full potential with a range of ability counters and a small power boost off the uptick
He has double strike, it creates a relatively powerful token, and it gains counters whenever any other creature with greater power dies, including tokens
This gave Pyroblast the ability to be played for no gain, just to get it out of your hand against a Black Vise or perhaps setting up a Balance
Seven mana is a lot of this kind of effect, especially when the tokens are ephemeral