🔗 Share this article

A major element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards narrate iconic stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. Such narrative is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. Several act as heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Powerful stories are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a principal designer on the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most refined pieces of storytelling via gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will quickly recognize the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another unit you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

Some necessary backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his companion. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

In a game, the rules effectively let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an artifact card. When used in tandem, 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.

Due to the way Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the attack entirely. So you can perform this action at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards for free. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Central Combo

But the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the sword on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga to date.