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A significant part of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards tell iconic narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found in the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. Several serve as heartbreaking reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving tales are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a lead game designer for the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of storytelling via rules. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central systems. And although it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

For context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the pair get away. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. 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 draw two cards and cast two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of moment alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Central Combo

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends beyond just these cards. 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the moment yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the series to date.