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A major aspect of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards narrate iconic stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose signature move is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is prevalent in the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. A number are poignant callbacks of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Powerful stories are a key component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal game designer on the project. "The team established some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most refined instances of flavor through mechanics. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits with equal force here, expressed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They eventually make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the rules in essence let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces unfold in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack entirely. This allows you to do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Central Combo

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a small reference, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga ever made.