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A significant aspect of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards narrate well-known stories. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is widespread across the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Several are poignant echoes of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Emotional stories are a vital component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a lead designer on the project. "We built some general rules, but in the end, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the set's most clever pieces of flavor by way of gameplay. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's core mechanics. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an Equipment, onto that other creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands just as hard here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

For context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the friends manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you recreate this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces function as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack entirely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Interaction

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small reference, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga for many fans.