As for team Life, I think your upgrades are... peculiar, yeah. Let's leave it at that.
I think it's because 8 attack graboids are at a good spot for adrenaline. I'd have to check the chart, but I think they end up attacking 1 more time than a creature with 10 attack.
More total damage.
Only if you go full recklessness against an element with access to both Fire Bolt and Rain of Fire. Might as well pick a mono Life in that case, no? In fact: mono Life with adrenafrogs and cocks/dragons probably wins on both speed and consistency compared to this Grabow. Unless you really needed those 4 splash cards to make a difference.
The main advantage of Graboids is that they come into play burrowed and can be burrowed a turn after evolving. Burrowed the upgrade gives +2 damage total (compared to unupgraded) when combined with adrenaline, unburrowed the unupgraded gives +3 damage total (compared to upgraded).
So unupgraded implies you never expected any CC at all. Which is fine and dandy, albeit peculiar against Fire.
Long story short, we appreciate the salvage
