there is nothing in the base or expansion card sets that cannot be acquired entirely for free, and no part of the battle zone is locked behind a paywall
I still think Ally Gideon is much better than Trial Gideon, but both should see play in the format
Raging Bolt ex takes advantage of cards like Teal Mask Ogerpon ex and Squawkabilly ex to accelerate energy to cards so that Raging Bolt ex can discard it to deal nearly unlimited amounts of damage
These are still only one or the other depending on which face is showing, and Esika doesnt not count as an enchantment in your hand, graveyard, etc
The vast majority of cards are inexpensive and meant for playing rather than hoarding
Secondly, it allows players to team up their favourite characters without also dropping them into the larger pool of Partnered Commanders, where they could more easily be broken wide open by unexpected synergies