Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER leads a Voltron-style equipment deck with several Final Fantasy legends. It attaches gear the moment creatures land, then swings with equipped creatures. Cloud's attack trigger draws a card for each equipped attacker and makes two Treasures once Cloud reaches 7 power, so the deck stacks big power boosts to hit that threshold. A cluster of "power 7 or greater" payoffs then turns one huge attacker into extra combats, extra cards and damage to every opponent, backed by mass removal that clears blockers. How it wins: It suits up Cloud or another legend past 7 power, then uses double strike, extra combats and evasion to kill opponents through commander or combat damage, with spread damage and an artifact-steal alternate win as backups. Key roles: - Cheap equipping and tutoring: These cards find equipment, make it cheaper to cast and equip, and attach it for free when creatures enter, so Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER's draw trigger fires every swing. (Puresteel Paladin, Cloud, Midgar Mercenary, Armory Automaton) - Power-7 threshold boosters: Large stat boosts and base-power setters push attackers to 7 or more, turning on the Treasures from Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER and the other threshold payoffs. (Colossus Hammer, Ultima Weapon, Sephiroth, Fallen Hero) - Big-hitter payoffs: These reward a 7-power creature with untaps and an extra combat, damage copied to every opponent, and upkeep card draw. (Tifa, Martial Artist, Vincent, Vengeful Atoner, Bugenhagen, Wise Elder) - Multi-combat and double strike: These double the damage and attack triggers of one suited-up creature, which is the fastest way to close a game. (Genji Glove, Cloud, Planet's Champion, Tifa, Martial Artist) - Board wipes around an armored threat: Sweepers clear the way, and indestructible, phasing or protective gear keeps the main creature alive through its own wipes. (Star of Extinction, Austere Command, Darksteel Plate) - Equipment recursion and the artifact count: These bring lost gear and creatures back, while a high artifact count fuels metalcraft, improvise and a steal-everything alternate win. (Unfinished Business, Cid, Freeflier Pilot, Hellkite Tyrant)

Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER decklist

• Austere Command
• Cultivate
• Decimate
• Harmonize
• Nature's Lore
• Rampant Growth
• Star of Extinction
• Ultimate Magic: Meteor
• Unfinished Business
• Vandalblast
• Vanquish the Horde
• Aerith, Last Ancient
• Armory Automaton
• Barret Wallace
• Barret, Avalanche Leader
• Bronze Guardian
• Bugenhagen, Wise Elder
• Cid, Freeflier Pilot
• Cloud, Midgar Mercenary
• Cloud, Planet's Champion
• Gilgamesh, Master-at-Arms
• Hellkite Tyrant
• Professional Face-Breaker
• Puresteel Paladin
• Red XIII, Proud Warrior
• Sephiroth, Fallen Hero
• Summon: Bahamut
• Summon: Kujata
• Tifa, Martial Artist
• Vincent, Vengeful Atoner
• Yuffie, Materia Hunter
• Zack Fair
• Sidequest: Catch a Fish
• Ash Barrens
• Battlefield Forge
• Bonders' Enclave
• Brushland
• Canopy Vista
• Capital City
• Cinder Glade
• Clifftop Retreat
• Command Tower
• Evolving Wilds
• Exotic Orchard
• Fire-Lit Thicket
• 3× Forest
• Fortified Village
• Furycalm Snarl
• Game Trail
• Jungle Shrine
• Mossfire Valley
• 2× Mountain
• Path of Ancestry
• 2× Plains
• Radiant Grove
• Rootbound Crag
• Rugged Prairie
• Sacred Peaks
• Scavenger Grounds
• Slayers' Stronghold
• Spire of Industry
• Starting Town
• Sungrass Prairie
• Sunpetal Grove
• Sunscorched Divide
• Wooded Ridgeline
• Arcane Signet
• Behemoth Sledge
• Champion's Helm
• Colossus Hammer
• Conformer Shuriken
• Conqueror's Flail
• Crystal Fragments
• Darksteel Plate
• Genji Glove
• Hero's Blade
• Hero's Heirloom
• Inspiring Statuary
• Lightning Greaves
• Mask of Memory
• Ring of the Lucii
• Skullclamp
• Sol Ring
• Summoning Materia
• Sword of the Animist
• The Masamune
• Ultima Weapon
• Umezawa's Jitte
• World Map
• Chaos Warp
• Clever Concealment
• Cloud's Limit Break
• Dispatch
• Lifestream's Blessing
• Ultimate Magic: Holy