🔗 Share this article

A core aspect of the allure within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner so many cards depict well-known narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. Some act as somber reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Powerful stories are a vital component of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior game designer on the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most elegant examples of flavor through rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central systems. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the emotional weight behind it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This design paints a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates with equal force here, conveyed completely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the pair break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities essentially let you relive this whole scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold as follows: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the attack altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Beyond the Central Synergy

And the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy location where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the franchise for many fans.