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A core element of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict well-known tales. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules reflect this with subtlety. This type of narrative is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. Several serve as poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly years after.

"Powerful stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead game designer on the collaboration. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was mostly on a individual level."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the collection's most clever examples of narrative design through rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core mechanics. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will instantly understand the meaning within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, communicated completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the duo get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the card mechanics in essence let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces play out like this: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. So 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, every time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Combo

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that subtly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the series ever made.