They are designed to create a luxury market that, and in effect, helps keep the price of regular cards lower for the average player
After Invert, theres a fairly marked shift in power level, with cards in the next tier being far more likely to see the light of day in Constructed
Loyal Unicorn 3W Creature Unicorn 3/4 Vigilance Lieutenant At the beginning of combat on your turn, if you control your commander, prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to creatures you control this turn
By combining cost reducers with board-wide tribal buffs like Empyrean Eagle and Kangee, Sky Warden, you will overwhelm your opponents through unstoppable airborne combat damage
This happens immediately and doesn't use the stack, so it can't be responded to
You arent wrong if you call them token payoffs