For Gandalf specifically, it helps that he was a powerful wizard, which opens up itself to lots of fun card designs, and that his character evolves significantly throughout The Lord of the Rings
Unless you go up against Razor Swine and Phyrexian Crusader, first strike damage is a great way to stop infect creatures, and any combination of first strike creatures can do it Archetype of Courage, Karlach, Fury of Avernus, Abandon Reason, and Sword of Vengeance are great tools to help in combat against infect
Sell Your Cards Get honest, no-pressure offers for Pokmon, sports, One Piece cardsgraded or raw
Warp is very similar, but you'll always get the warped permanent for a turn
Konami generally tries to maintain competitive balance with the range of new cards it releases - but with a game as complex and high-powered as Yugioh, cards will always emerge that 'warp the meta' and generate bad player feedback
Earthen Vessel is great in every deck in the format, and Professor Sada's Vitality is amazing in every Ancient strategy