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A significant element of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion so many cards depict well-known narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a specialized shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this in nuanced ways. This type of storytelling is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. Some are heartbreaking callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Moving narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a senior designer for the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most refined instances of flavor via gameplay. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the saga will instantly understand the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands with equal force here, expressed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

For context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this whole event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack altogether. Therefore, you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Obvious Interaction

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it goes beyond 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 target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment 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* is still the most beloved game in the series ever made.