🔗 Share this article

A major part of the charm found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way so many cards depict familiar stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of narrative is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Several serve as poignant echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Moving stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a principal designer for the set. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was primarily on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the set's most clever instances of narrative design by way of gameplay. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's key systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the tale will quickly recognize the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This design paints a scene FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, conveyed completely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

A bit of backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the duo break free. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his comrade. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities in essence let you relive this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards play out as follows: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the damage altogether. So you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of experience referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

More Than the Main Combo

But the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends further than just these cards. The Jenova card 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 sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny reference, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series for many fans.