One other subtle strength here is the degree of control you can have over exactly when cards are milled, and how many (assuming you have painlands or other unrestricted self-damage sources)
The Plate is definitely one of the more expensive pieces in the list, but I find it to be well worth the cost
For instance, when played with "Aragorn, Company Leader" from the MTG / Lord of the Rings collab, Tidus can move Aragorn's first strike, vigilance, deathtouch, or lifelink counter onto another card
Kain is a good early play that can guarantee you the top-ups you need, and you can do some dastardly things with him, like building him tall and strapping a Vampiric Link to him to ensure you gain life off of anyone attacking with him
There is a cycle of these within this set, and I continue to adore their inclusion
Example: Remember the Thought Scour situation where you mill their scry after a weak Turn 1