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A major part of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion so many cards tell familiar stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is found across the entire Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Some are heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Moving tales are a vital part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer for the project. "The team established some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most refined examples of storytelling via rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's key systems. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

For context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the pair break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to look after his comrade. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities essentially let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack entirely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of experience meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Synergy

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches further than just these cards. 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 then becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series ever made.