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A major element of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards depict well-known narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. Such flavor is found in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several act as poignant callbacks of tragedies fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Emotional tales are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal game designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual level."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the set's most elegant examples of flavor via rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will instantly understand the significance behind it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits just as hard here, expressed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

For history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the card mechanics essentially let you recreate this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold in this way: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack entirely. So you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards for free. This is just the kind of interaction meant when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay evoke the memory.

More Than the Obvious Synergy

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends beyond just this combo. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle connection, but one that implicitly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked location where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing personally. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a short instant, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.