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A significant part of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards depict iconic stories. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent in the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. Some are somber reminders of sad moments fans still mull over to this day.

"Emotional tales are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a principal game designer on the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most refined instances of flavor via rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the meaning behind it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the color of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that other creature.

These mechanics paints a scene FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits just as hard here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the abilities essentially let you recreate this entire scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces unfold in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of 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 in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack altogether. So you can do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of moment referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Interaction

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes further than 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 then becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the saga to date.