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A core part of the allure within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way countless cards depict familiar narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. A number are heartbreaking reminders of sad moments fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy series," noted a lead designer on the set. "The team established some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the set's most elegant examples of narrative design through rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will immediately grasp the significance within it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

Some necessary context, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his friend. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an weapon card. Together, these three cards unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack altogether. So you can make this play at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 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 precisely the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Combo

And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the legacy personally. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.