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A major element of the appeal found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards depict iconic narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a portrait of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a specialized shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. This type of flavor is prevalent throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some are somber callbacks of tragedies fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Powerful tales are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal game designer involved with the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was mostly on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most refined instances of storytelling by way of rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's core gameplay elements. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with 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 grant another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates with equal force here, conveyed solely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to protect his friend. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards play out as follows: You cast Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to negate the damage completely. So you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

And the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy cliff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the moment for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series for many fans.