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A core aspect of the appeal found in the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner countless cards tell well-known narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. This type of flavor is widespread throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not joyful stories. Several serve as poignant callbacks of emotional events fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a principal game designer involved with the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the collection's most elegant examples of flavor by way of mechanics. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's central systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will quickly recognize the significance embedded in it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of backstory, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the pair get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Battlefield

In a game, the rules effectively let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding 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 look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these pieces function in this way: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Obvious Combo

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you relive the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series for many fans.