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A core aspect of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion numerous cards narrate familiar tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. These kinds of flavor is found throughout the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. A number are poignant reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Powerful tales are a vital component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a senior game designer on the set. "The team established some overarching principles, but in the end, it was mostly on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most clever instances of narrative design by way of rules. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the set's central gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an gear, onto that chosen creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits with equal force here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the duo manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his friend. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics in essence let you recreate this iconic event. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards function as follows: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than just these cards. The Jenova card appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment yourself. You make the sacrifice. You transfer the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise to date.