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A significant aspect of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards depict familiar stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this with subtlety. These kinds of narrative is prevalent in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some serve as poignant callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a principal game designer involved with the collaboration. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of storytelling through mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's central systems. And although it avoids revealing anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

These mechanics depicts a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, communicated completely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of backstory, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to take care of his comrade. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you relive this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. Together, these pieces unfold in this way: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the damage entirely. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when talking about “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Obvious Interaction

However, the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card appears in 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 kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny nod, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to relive the legacy personally. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the sword on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the franchise to date.