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A major element of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner so many cards narrate familiar stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities mirror this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found across the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. Several are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Powerful tales are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a lead designer involved with 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 set's most clever examples of narrative design via mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's core gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the tale will instantly understand the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits with equal force here, expressed solely 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

Some necessary history, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the pair break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to look after his comrade. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

In a game, the abilities in essence let you recreate this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the damage altogether. This allows you to perform this action at any time, 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 cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card appears in the collection 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 kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the saga ever made.