I was at Card Party and I've seen four Illustrators at that one event. The reason for Illustrators ongoing popularity - and eclipsing of other, rarer cards - is due to its status
To keep the speedometer ticking upward, the deck leans on pingers, chip damage sources, and oddball effects that slowly nudge opponents to make it easier to reach maximum speed and unlock that doubled draw mode
Still, players should recognize the artwork of at least a few cards, especially those from classic sets like the Base Set or Fossil
Among these are a double-faced Enchantment/Legendary Land card named Heart of the Explorer/The Lost Valley (which reprints and repurposes the Ixalan card Search For Azcanta/Azcanta, The Lost Ruin) and a special Treasure Token card, which features a very Easter Egg-heavy illustration with lots of references for long term Tomb Raider fans
"I was completely shocked
Because SCG has already priced Scapeshift down pretty aggressively, I doubt itll lose a full half of its value from here