Protection works against damage, being enchanted or equipped, being blocked, or targeting
It turns out The Beast is adept at turning creatures against their creators, so to speak
We built some general rules, but in the end, it was mostly on a card-by-card, moment-by-moment basis. Though the Zack Fair card isnt a competitive powerhouse, its one of the sets most elegant pieces of storytelling through mechanics
In Golgari Demon shells, it allows you to cast high-mana spells like Vicious Rivalry or Assassins Trophy while keeping your mana open for protection
Thats fine for a Planeswalker ultimate not intended for heavy Constructed play and the kind of thing thatll lead to good stories, which overt variance cards often do