Pirates have received much more support since then, being a key Draft archetype in Commander Masters, receiving an entire Commander precon in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, and being included in Outlaws of Thunder Junction's outlaw batch
Similarly, big X-spells like Genesis Hydra and Genesis Wave are excellent forms mana sinks
The shards around Chimil shift, align, and lock together, reforming the shell to encase the star and plunge the Core into darkness
I also bundle some commanders based on theme to make space for cards we might not talk about otherwise
A low mana curve, workable theme, and solid card advantage from the command zone make it play pretty well
You want to play the control role until you can play a threat and Thermokarst in the same turn