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A core part of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards narrate well-known stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. Such narrative is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. Some are somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving narratives are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a senior designer on the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was mostly on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most elegant instances of flavor via rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's key mechanics. And although it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the story will immediately grasp the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

Some necessary history, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the rules essentially let you reenact this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an weapon card. Together, these pieces unfold as follows: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. So you can make this play at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Beyond the Main Combo

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just this combo. 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 then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small reference, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.