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A core part of the allure found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way numerous cards narrate iconic tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a snapshot of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Some act as poignant reminders of tragedies fans still mull over to this day.

"Emotional stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a senior game designer on the set. "The team established some general rules, but finally, it was primarily on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most elegant pieces of storytelling by way of mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the set's key systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a scene FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates with equal force here, communicated solely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary history, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to look after his comrade. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this entire scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these pieces play out like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to negate the damage entirely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of experience referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

But the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just these cards. 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that implicitly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series for many fans.