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A major part of the appeal of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion numerous cards tell familiar stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this in nuanced ways. These kinds of flavor is found in the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Some serve as heartbreaking echoes of tragedies fans still mull over years after.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it is one of the collection's most elegant examples of narrative design by way of gameplay. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the set's core mechanics. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the meaning within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an gear, onto that target creature.

This design portrays a scene FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the friends get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities effectively let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the damage entirely. So you can perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Beyond the Obvious Synergy

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you reenact the moment yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga ever made.