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A significant aspect of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards tell well-known tales. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this with subtlety. Such narrative is found across the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. A number act as heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Emotional narratives are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior designer for the collaboration. "The team established some general rules, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most elegant instances of storytelling via gameplay. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another unit you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits with equal force here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

Some necessary backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the duo manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of moment referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga to date.