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A significant part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards narrate well-known narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. Such narrative is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Several serve as poignant reminders of tragedies fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional narratives are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a lead game designer involved with the project. "The team established some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it is one of the release's most elegant pieces of flavor through gameplay. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the product's core systems. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an gear, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, conveyed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They finally arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Battlefield

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 gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling 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.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack completely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

More Than the Obvious Interaction

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond just this combo. The Jenova card appears in 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 in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle connection, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to relive the passing yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series ever made.