🔗 Share this article

A core aspect of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards depict iconic stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. Such narrative is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all joyful stories. A number act as poignant reminders of sad moments fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy series," explained a principal designer for the set. "We built some overarching principles, but finally, it was mostly on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it represents one of the set's most elegant instances of flavor via gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

For one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed entirely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

For context, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his comrade. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

In a game, the abilities effectively let you relive this whole scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an weapon card. Together, these pieces play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. So you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Central Synergy

But the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond 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 then becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that implicitly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.