all pokemon card expansions Pokémon TCG Expansion Sets Explained Pokemon TCG Booster packs 50

While having to ban cards in Standard is bad, hyping up a new card type and having it fall flat and go unplayed is (perhaps) just as bad, so Wizards is incentivized to take more risks to make sure new card types see play

You can free cast the creature, and that's awesome

You still have two other opponents to worry about

Based on the rules text saying "you may remove a counter," this means if you deal combat damage and only have the hexproof counter, but want to keep it, you can pass on activating the ability

Poliwrath - 13/102 (Base Set) 1999

It takes time to build up Laelia into a threat and to get the pieces you need to be able to start pushing out damage