I've always been a sucker for pretty cards in my decks, whether it's Final Fantasy/Magic: The Gathering collab cards or adorable Pokmon, and Hop's Zacian ex is right up that alley
However, compared to established WB value engines like Lurrus of the DreamDen (in eternal formats), Tenth District Legionnaire (in more aggressive shells), or even general token/value engines like Monastery Mentor (outside color), this card is slower and requires consistent targeting to scale, which can make it less impactful in competitive formats unless the metagame strongly rewards spelldense creature builds
However, his effect Refreshing Break, gives the player 1 Lore token for each damage on him when he is redied during a turn
Dont forget to play Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder to get your maximum Thrull flavor
To meld the two cards in a meld pair, put them onto the battlefield with their back faces up and combined (see rule 701.34, Meld)
Modern cards from sets such as Sword & Shield and Scarlet & Violet can still be valuable