Tyrranax Rex alleviates that issue with toxic 4, making this the perfect creature for decks that use poison counters as a win condition
Despite the effect of transforming Battle being a triggered ability , its controller exiles the permanent and then casts it without paying the mana cost , opening up space to interact with Battle on the stack with Make Disappear, or other counterspells, or even to bounce them on the stack, with Venser, Shaper Savant and the like
I like the flavour text noting that those winged helmets are taken off in actual war, and are only worn for pageants
Its evolution into Steelix in later games provided new layers to its gameplay appeal, keeping it relevant as new mechanics and regions were introduced
In BO1, you can have a very explosive draw with Leyline of Resonance in your hand, and a fast aggro start that ends the game as fast as turns 2 or 3