And with enough counters, the creature gets new stats and abilities, noted in those little "LEVEL 3-7", "LEVEL 8+" boxes on the card ( in the case of Hexdrinker, with the top end granting you the legendary Progenitus effect of Protection from Everything
Arden Angel will follow the same rules as our other mechanically unique Secret Lair cards and be globally available in boosters through The List in the future
But it introduced some staple mechanics and concepts to Magic players, setting the scene for design space still to come
So there was no point to buy a deck when I could order the singles I wanted
Considering that there are ways to Reveillark this (since its a 2/2) and other shenanigans, you can set up all sorts of infinite combos and reanimation loops with the Guide, generating extra mana, death triggers, and more
But its poor when cast fairly, and still costs (in a roundabout way) when used correctly