IGN confidently wrote in 2001 that it expected a sequel to the first game, but for one reason or another, it never materialized
Illustrated by: Izzy Multiverse ID: 484904 Not Legal Traditional Standard Not Legal Traditional Alchemy Not Legal Traditional Explorer Not Legal Traditional Historic Not Legal Traditional Timeless Rulings 2020-04-17 Surly Badgersaurs abilities are triggered abilities, not activated abilities
Devotion was sprinkled throughout the set, generally at higher rarities, so it was less relevant in Limited while being format-defining in Constructed (Thassas Oracle, Anax, Hardened in the Forge)
That means (1) the ability won't trigger at all unless the defending player controls more lands than you, and (2) the ability will do nothing if you control at least as many lands as the defending player by the time it resolves
It is a card pivotal for deck building and your playstyle