Either decision ends up benefiting the player with Esper Sentinel, making the card a nightmare to play against for these decks
Theres a small amount of life drain, and then theres the non-combat win condition of firing off a big Exsanguinate, perhaps fueled by Cabal Coffers, Black Market (a card that doesnt see as much play as I think it should), and/or Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
One of the biggest surprises to me this year was that Magic created an ability called Companion that seemed to be meant to give other formats a little of the special flavor that we have in Commander
For Chandra, this means a fiery, bold red frame with flame accents
By making a separate rank for newer players, you dont risk them being lumped in with some player who just hasnt logged in for a few months but still has killer skills and cards
Casting them often wins you the game