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A major aspect of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner countless cards narrate familiar narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a glimpse of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this with subtlety. These kinds of narrative is widespread in the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some act as heartbreaking echoes of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Powerful narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a principal game designer on the project. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it is one of the collection's most clever instances of narrative design through mechanics. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the meaning within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This design portrays a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits just as hard here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

For history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities effectively let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage completely. So you can make this play at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Beyond the Central Synergy

But the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it goes beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny reference, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the moment yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.