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A major part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion countless cards tell iconic narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is found in the entire Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. Several are somber callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead game designer for the collaboration. "The team established some general rules, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it is one of the release's most refined instances of flavor via mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the expansion's core systems. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that target creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, communicated completely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

A bit of context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the duo break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities essentially let you reenact this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards function as follows: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. So you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

More Than the Main Combo

However, the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the saga for many fans.