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A significant aspect of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards narrate well-known narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Several act as poignant echoes of emotional events fans still mull over decades later.

"Moving tales are a vital element of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a lead game designer on the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of narrative design by way of mechanics. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the product's core gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of good) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits just as hard here, expressed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the abilities effectively let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack entirely. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Interaction

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it goes beyond just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design does not depict his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.