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A major part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards narrate well-known tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. Such flavor is found in the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Several serve as heartbreaking echoes of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional narratives are a central element of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal game designer involved with the set. "They created some overarching principles, but in the end, it was mostly on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair may not be a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most elegant pieces of narrative design via gameplay. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the set's central systems. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This design portrays a moment FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, conveyed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

Some necessary context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the pair get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to protect his comrade. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities effectively let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these pieces play out like this: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the damage entirely. So you can perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Synergy

And the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just these cards. 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 chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny nod, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the sword on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the franchise to date.