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A core element of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards narrate familiar narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this with subtlety. This type of storytelling is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Some act as somber reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Powerful stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a senior designer for the set. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it is one of the release's most clever pieces of storytelling via mechanics. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the tale will quickly recognize the significance embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, as well as an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a scene FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands just as hard here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

For context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the duo manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you reenact this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out in this way: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the damage completely. So you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells for free. This is just the kind of experience referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Main Interaction

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova card appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you relive the moment personally. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.