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A significant element of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards depict well-known narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is found across the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. A number are heartbreaking callbacks of tragedies fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving tales are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal designer on the collaboration. "The team established some overarching principles, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most elegant examples of storytelling by way of rules. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the alignment of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

These mechanics portrays a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates powerfully here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For history, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the duo break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to look after his friend. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. Together, these three cards unfold in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack altogether. Therefore, you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of moment alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Interaction

However, the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy location where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.