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A significant part of the allure within the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards narrate familiar tales. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this with subtlety. This type of narrative is found in the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. A number serve as heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Emotional stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer on the set. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most clever examples of flavor via gameplay. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's key systems. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the tale will instantly understand the emotional weight embedded in it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card paints a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands with equal force here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

Some necessary history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the card mechanics in essence let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. In combination, these pieces play out like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to negate the attack entirely. This allows you to do this at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Synergy

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity 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 in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to reenact the moment for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the series to date.