This is an obvious decision to preserve The One Ring's flavor and theme, and it helps keep the card fairly balanced, too
The difference is marginal, but the fact remains that Spike Cannibal is disastrous for the +1/+1 counter player at the table
Snow is not a supported theme in Modern Horizons III , so why did they bother printing Snow-Covered Wastes
To help navigate that choice, consider three factors: Your land count : If youre light on mana, chances are your hand is full of spells, so playing the card for its normal cost may help you influence the board more efficiently
Id consider this if I just wanted more mana fixing in a 3+ color typal deck, maybe in something like 5-color slivers or dragons, but most 2-cost mana rocks you plug in will be better