I think the strongest distinction between self-mill and self-discard is that self-mill wants to fill your graveyard as quickly as possible, while self-discard is trying to be a big more selective and strategic
2004-10-04 If you take more than one damage at a time, sacrifice the permanents for that damage simultaneously
(11/3/2023) No matter what spell you cast with the first cascade ability (or with any cascade abilities that result from casting that spell), the second cascade ability will look for a card with mana value less than Call Forth the Tempest's mana value of 8
Whatever the case, let's have a look at these money cards
Even as a dead draw the Lotus can still be pretty strong as it makes up for the additional lands/mana rocks youd need to draw into for commander tax whenever theres a setback and if your general is a combo piece that benefit is pretty big in my opinion
With extended art and flashy premium versions, it delivers style and value in every pack