🔗 Share this article

A significant aspect of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict familiar narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent in the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Several are somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over years after.

"Moving tales are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a lead designer involved with the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

While the Zack Fair may not be a tournament staple, it represents one of the set's most elegant instances of flavor via mechanics. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the product's core gameplay elements. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will instantly understand the emotional weight behind it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

These mechanics depicts a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, communicated solely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

A bit of history, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his friend. They finally make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gets 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 sacrifice ability is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of experience referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Obvious Synergy

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just this combo. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the series to date.