It is a very odd mana rock, because you are spending mana to get 1 less than you spent, but I think the threat here is that it then also becomes an 8/8 that makes opponents start sacrificing permanents, which seems pretty strong, especially since it is safe from creature-based removal until you turn it on
Haliya, Guided by Light Haliya, Guided by Light has lovely text that lets you gain lots of life from artifacts and creatures you put into play
Sideloading means that the cards are inserted from the side of the pockets
Once it triggers, Raid Bombardment will deal 1 damage to the appropriate player or planeswalker even if the creature's power changes before the ability resolves
Like most other things in the game, a triggered ability will put the trigger on the stack (where spells and abilities go before they're resolved and become part of the game), and it must be resolved in the same way casting a spell would be
Whenever you start to cast some of your shenanigans, Norin excuse itself only to return after the chaos