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A significant part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner numerous cards depict familiar narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a portrait of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. A number are somber callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Moving stories are a vital component of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal game designer for the collaboration. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was largely on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the set's most elegant pieces of flavor by way of gameplay. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's key mechanics. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates powerfully here, expressed completely 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 Moment

For history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics effectively let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards function like this: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to negate the damage completely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of experience meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Combo

And the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that implicitly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design does not depict his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing personally. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the franchise to date.