Those combo strategies have declined in popularity, while new contenders like Jeskai Blink and Simic Ritual have emerged
Because of this, I evaluate commanders by their general usefulness and power level a bit more rather than by their strongest deck
Chart shows the price of Karrablast [Poke Ball] #9 at the end of each month going back as long as we have tracked the item.
My following comments are speculation, but: The card designs could have been approved around the same time period as the first wave of 1996 cards, the contract could have enforced the release date of 1997 to stagger product hitting the market, the contract could have stipulated mew was to be withheld until approved, or indefinitely, or permission triggered by some other event such as a sales target
Also note that foil cards can be sun bleached as well
While its not played competitively these days, it can be mixed with a lot of interesting cards to create fun combos that can totally win you games in the right scenarios