🔗 Share this article

A core part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards tell well-known narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a portrait of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of storytelling is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some are somber callbacks of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving stories are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a principal game designer for the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most refined examples of narrative design through rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's key mechanics. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a sequence FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, conveyed solely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

For history, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the duo break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to look after his companion. They finally arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities in essence let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage entirely. Therefore, you can do this at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of 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 kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the moment personally. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the franchise to date.