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A significant part of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards narrate iconic tales. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this with subtlety. Such storytelling is widespread throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. Some are somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over decades later.

"Moving stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a senior designer for the project. "We built some overarching principles, but in the end, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most refined pieces of narrative design through gameplay. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the product's core systems. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the meaning within it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands just as hard here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary context, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules effectively let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards function like this: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the damage altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 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 moment referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Obvious Synergy

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it goes beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy personally. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga ever made.