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A major element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way countless cards depict iconic narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a portrait of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. A number act as poignant echoes of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Moving stories are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior designer for the collaboration. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most refined examples of storytelling by way of gameplay. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the set's core gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the tale will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands with equal force here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

For context, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the duo manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to take care of his companion. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the rules essentially let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

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

Due to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the attack altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards for free. This is just the kind of moment referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than 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 target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that subtly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the saga for many fans.