🔗 Share this article

A significant aspect of the appeal found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner countless cards depict iconic narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose signature move is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found in the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all fun and games. A number are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Powerful stories are a central element of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead designer on the collaboration. "The team established some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the collection's most refined instances of flavor by way of rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key systems. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the saga will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics depicts a sequence FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits powerfully here, conveyed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

For history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to look after his companion. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the abilities effectively let you recreate this entire event. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier 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 make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an weapon card. Together, these three cards function like this: You play 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 design Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the attack altogether. So you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells for free. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Obvious Interaction

And the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection 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 starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the franchise to date.