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A major aspect of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards depict familiar narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. These kinds of flavor is found across the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Some serve as somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving stories are a vital element of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead game designer involved with the set. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was largely on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the set's most refined instances of narrative design via mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the product's key systems. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the saga will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits just as hard here, expressed completely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the pair get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to protect his comrade. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules essentially let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold in this way: You cast Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to prevent the damage altogether. So you can do this at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that implicitly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series for many fans.