Instead, I tried Colossal Skyturtle because 1) it's more flexible: you can bounce a creature with it and 2) it's harder to interact with: opponents can't usually counter Channel abilities
Sometimes it would draw the engine, sometimes it would draw the extra turns, sometimes it would draw the win conditions, but it had a very hard time consistently doing them together
Filigree Familiar is an entirely reasonable card to play that fits on the curve, gives you a bit of life, replaces itself when it dies, and looks incredible while doing these things
Combine this with the relatively weak instant removal and some of the Ninjutsu incentives (getting to that later) and you get a format where blocking and not blocking are both bad
There are two ways you can build Lathril, Blade of the Elves in Commander
Oh, and one reference for the conspiracy theories: "All of the wizards who could not escape in time were burnt in the holocaust of colorless fire"