🔗 Share this article

A significant part of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards narrate well-known stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. This type of storytelling is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Some are somber echoes of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Powerful stories are a vital part of the Final Fantasy series," noted a lead game designer on the collaboration. "We built some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it is one of the set's most elegant pieces of flavor through gameplay. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that other creature.

These mechanics portrays a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates just as hard here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the duo manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his comrade. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an weapon card. Together, these three cards unfold as follows: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. This allows you to do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of experience meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Beyond the Obvious Interaction

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it goes beyond just these cards. The Jenova card appears in 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 sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle connection, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to relive the legacy for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.