It offers reliable protection for your cards and a distinct style for the battlefield
Once you get Oketra out, you can almost always cast the counter on a stick, and it not only gets rid of your opponent's next play but it also triggers Oketra
Because the card already gets you a point of Lore anyway, you're essentially getting three
Its also a weak 1-drop, so this card, like Sakura-Tribe Elder before it, was made to be sacrificed anyway
Magic The Gathering (and Dungeons & Dragons) publisher Wizards of the Coast have the finances and scope to explore third party IP such as Warhammer and The Lord of the Rings, and as the 30th anniversary of Magic: The Gathering approaches theres plenty of other compelling content in the works, including an already revealed 30th anniversary Secret Lair countdown calendar, to be opened like an advent calendar during December
Plus, the whole point of the Custom Card Contest in the first place is to have fun while making cards