What seems to be causing the surge is its proven effectiveness in decks helmed by Godo, Bandit Warlord, and its inclusion in early brews commanded by another Final Fantasy character: Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms
Will you go with brute Strength or high Willpower
No, landfall is a triggered ability and not an activated ability
Hope's effect turns that lifegain into mill, so even though you're not actively playing cards that mill, you're still making progress on draining your opponents of their libraries
Its so ubiquitous that its banned in every format except Commander (its a key piece in the best Commander decks) and Vintage, where its restricted to just one copy
What's inside: NPCs divided into allies, villains, and wild cards (including an 8-year-old with a magical greatsword and Sissy Ontario, the urban druid)