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A core element of the appeal found in the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards narrate familiar narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread across the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. Several are somber callbacks of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional stories are a vital part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior game designer on the project. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most refined examples of narrative design by way of mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the product's core gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight embedded in it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a sequence FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits with equal force here, communicated solely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of backstory, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to look after his comrade. They eventually make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the abilities essentially let you relive this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards play out as follows: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack entirely. This allows you to do this at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Main Combo

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond 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 chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the legacy for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series ever made.