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A core element of the charm found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards depict familiar tales. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The abilities represent this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread across the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Several are somber echoes of sad moments fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Powerful tales are a key component of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior designer on the set. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most refined instances of narrative design through rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

These mechanics paints a scene FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to protect his companion. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped 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, letting you to look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these pieces function like this: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to prevent the damage completely. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, moving 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 cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

More Than the Central Combo

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches further than 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 also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny reference, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the series for many fans.