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A major aspect of the charm of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards depict well-known narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a portrait of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is widespread across the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not lighthearted tales. Some are somber echoes of tragedies fans still mull over years after.

"Moving narratives are a key component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead designer for the project. "They created some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most refined examples of flavor through gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the product's key systems. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the emotional weight embedded in it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, along with an gear, onto that other creature.

These mechanics depicts a sequence FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

A bit of backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities in essence let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an weapon card. Together, these three cards function like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage entirely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Synergy

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes further than just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny connection, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable bluff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the legacy personally. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the series to date.