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A major part of the allure of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner countless cards narrate familiar narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. A number act as somber echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Powerful narratives are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal designer on the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most refined pieces of storytelling by way of gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key systems. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will quickly recognize the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands with equal force here, conveyed entirely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards function like this: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage completely. This allows you to make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it reaches beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set 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 in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the legacy yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise to date.