🔗 Share this article

A significant aspect of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner countless cards narrate iconic narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose secret weapon is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of narrative is found across the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. Several are somber callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly to this day.

"Powerful stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal designer involved with the set. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it stands as one of the collection's most clever examples of narrative design via rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core systems. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the saga will instantly understand the emotional weight embedded in it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the duo manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to look after his comrade. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you recreate this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold like this: You cast Zack, and he gains 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.

Because of the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack altogether. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of moment meant when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Beyond the Main Synergy

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond 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 chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny nod, but one that implicitly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the series to date.