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A significant part of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way numerous cards narrate iconic stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a portrait of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is prevalent throughout the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Several are somber reminders of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional tales are a central element of the Final Fantasy series," noted a senior game designer for the set. "The team established some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most clever pieces of storytelling by way of mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the emotional weight behind it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his comrade. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the card mechanics effectively let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards unfold as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. So you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Combo

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just Zack and Cloud. 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that implicitly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy cliff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.