🔗 Share this article

A major element of the allure found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way countless cards depict well-known stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this in nuanced ways. This type of storytelling is prevalent in the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Several are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving stories are a vital component of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior game designer for the collaboration. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the set's most clever instances of narrative design via gameplay. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core mechanics. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This card paints a sequence FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, expressed entirely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

For history, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to take care of his comrade. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. Together, these three cards unfold as follows: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s signature action is structured, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to cancel out the damage entirely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Interaction

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in 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 kind of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.