In most cards, the bigger the drawback is, the bigger the value generated is
Commander Decks Commander is Magics most popular format, offering a way for two or more players to duke it out in a Last Player Standing format
Comeuppance Unlike most fogs, Comeuppance prevents all damage, not just combat damage, which is pretty helpful
Grimgrin, Corpse-Born is considered by many to be the most entry-level and newcomer friendly of all the relevant Zombie commanders available in the format
In modern Magic, Ivory Tower has no niche
Obviously, you dont really want to give up a real creature for the effect all the time, otherwise it is a roundabout way of rummaging, but recurring removal spells is especially potent, and giving up a creature for that is often going to be worth it, especially if you sacrifice a card that brings you some value when it dies