Shell often outpace other decks simply by being a 7/7 or larger that can be recast easily
Illustrated by Alan Pollack Standard Not Legal Alchemy Not Legal Pioneer Not Legal Historic Not Legal Modern Not Legal Brawl Not Legal Legacy Legal Comp
Gurmag Angler What makes Gurmag Angler so terrifying in Pauper isnt just that its a 5/5, its that it can reliably hit the battlefield for a single black mana
When you do, target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn for each creature you control and cant be blocked this turn
Other factors seemed as though they would have boosted popularity
Twice last year, it confirmed it would be printing more cards, once in a general statement, and once for the Eevee-focused Prismatic Evolutions, and while that is certainly true, the supply still far outweighed the demand