However, both Philoctetes, No-Nonsense Instructor and Ling, Imperial Soldier are obvious core cards for any kind of Hero-focused Steel deck
A 3/2 flyer that effectively couldn't be blocked was pretty much a bomb, since there were few removal spells, fewer fliers, and virtually no tempo in this format
Even the argument that "it returns from the graveyard" isn't a good one
While a deck only needs 60 cards, the booster packs come with several different colored cards, meaning you may not pull enough of the same colors to make a full two-ink color deck
The problem is what happens when someone uses realism to deceive
The abilities are strong without being so broken it makes it unfun, it fits perfectly into the archetype its meant to fit into without any unnecessary drawbacks, and it gives access to Orzhov colors, by far the most common colors for aristocrat strategies