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A major element of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way countless cards tell well-known stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics reflect this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and some are not joyful stories. Some serve as heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Moving narratives are a vital part of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the release's most clever instances of flavor through gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the product's central mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the significance within it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, as well as an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated completely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

A bit of context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards function in this way: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to cancel out the damage entirely. So you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Central Interaction

However, the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends further than just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts 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 underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a tiny connection, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked location where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the weapon on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga ever made.