Digital-Only cards are legal in Eternal Artisan, excluding a few digital-only mechanics deemed problematic. Perpetually provides some contexts that are net-positive, opening up strategies and deck-building ideas that would not be viable in paper Magic. Still, an inherent concern to these mechanics is their ability to permanently alter a card for the remainder of the game, regardless of it changing zones. Further, when cards can be altered without being in play, it protects them from the opponent's counterplay. Traditionally, if a player attempts to buff one of their creatures, the opponent can respond, removing that creature before the buff is applied. But, when these alterations can occur in areas the opponent is not able to disrupt, the situation has the potential to cause unhealthy gameplay patterns. Golden Sidekick's efficiency at increasing the stats of cards in the player's hand is notable here. The ability does not even require the Sidekick itself to be the source of the lifegain. While a presumed limitation of the card's power would be the player having creatures in hand to receive the buff, a prevailing strategy in the format at this time finds the player recalling their creatures back to hand frequently during the game, leading to situations where already deployed creatures can be returned, buffed, and redeployed more powerful than before. Despite a rebalance of the card from a 2/2 to a 1/3, the card's effect remains the same and as such, Golden Sidekick is banned in Eternal Artisan