The higher your deck's average cmc and the more turns required to win the game, the more lands you'll want to run
Ral Zarek is a mana source and can give a creature effective vigilance (which can protect him in a way), but the ability to lock down an opposing threat is exactly what a planeswalker wants to be able to do
Theres actually two different shiny versions of these cards that you can get, and its important to know both the difference in price and where the cards come from
Bog-Strider Ash was meant to play against the red/black goblin decks of the format and is a tough blocker, a Swampwalker, and can grant you life when your opponent plays goblins (notoriously a thing goblin decks do a lot of)
The Lightning Bolt would have to be announced in response to the explore to go on the stack, which would kill the 3/3 creature and prevent any +1/+1 from being placed, but the rest of the explore effects would still take place
Peter ParkerPeter Parker in particular was incredibly fun to play against