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A core element of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion so many cards depict well-known stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose secret weapon is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The gameplay rules mirror this perfectly. This type of flavor is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some serve as somber reminders of sad moments fans still mull over years after.

"Powerful tales are a key component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead designer on the project. "We built some general rules, but in the end, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most clever instances of flavor via rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's key gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will immediately grasp the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an gear, onto that target creature.

These mechanics depicts a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

Some necessary history, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his comrade. They eventually make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you relive this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards function in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack altogether. This allows you to do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Main Combo

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable bluff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga ever made.