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A major element of the charm found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict familiar narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Some act as heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead designer for the collaboration. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

While the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it is one of the collection's most elegant instances of storytelling by way of gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's central systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an gear, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, conveyed completely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

A bit of context, and here is your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended testing, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role 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 abilities essentially let you relive this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

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

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack entirely. Therefore, you can do this at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of experience referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Obvious Synergy

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the collection 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 kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a tiny connection, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design does not depict his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to relive the legacy yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the franchise ever made.