The typical process when commissioning an alter is for a client to either be very specific about what is desired on a card, or allow the artist to use their own imagination to paint what they believe is requested
People wanted this version specifically and they made it a bonus card. They understood what everyone wanted the counterspell to look like but decided theyre going to make it a GAMBLE if you get it, notes u/Apprehensive_Debate3 in one of the most upvoted comments My god, and you know this thing is gonna be like 10 times the price of the normal one. They don't want to lose reprint equity by putting a $30 print in a $30 lair, but they want to turn the drops into a lottery to create future FOMO a la Fallout Mana Vault or Miku Snapcaster Mage, says u/easchner
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It's also pretty reasonably statted and comes with an Ancestral Mask attached before the game begins
It was a dominant card for the era, but it wasn't the top two, nor was it even the top uncommon