There are beautifully dark cards such Toxrill, the Corrosive (Showcase) or Olivia, Crimson Bride (Showcase) that make this set wonderful no matter what you pull
(If a creature with a shield counter would be dealt damage or destroyed, remove a shield counter from it instead.) Shield counters don't prevent players from sacrificing creatures
However, I have very fond memories of casting multiple Rally at the Hornburgs with an Erkenbrand, Lord of Westfold in play
But if I lose all of them, Im screwed
It also had the advantage of being more elegant than its mirror card Undermine, as it was a simple combination of Healing Salve and Counterspell for the combined price of both of them, and while the strength of the colors meant the ranking here goes the other way, Absorb shows how it's more important to get what you need rather than what is technically more valuable