You can now check the favorite icon in the top right corner of each expansion pack and set it as your favorite
So, to keep track of which creature is blocking, it's common for the defending player to place their blocking creatures in front of the attacking creatures to show which is blocking which
or they even have something that should not be present on the card (see beta Volcanic Island's white dots)
That first ability resembles the shenanigans you can get up to with Dargo, the Shipwrecker, so in the right deck, you can cast it for two mana, attack for seven (that can only be blocked by legendary creatures), and then sacrifice it to destroy an annoying artifact or creature
Expanded is the most consistent format, never rotating whole sets out, although some troublesome cards have been banned from play