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A core part of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion countless cards tell well-known stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities reflect this in nuanced ways. Such narrative is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and not all fun and games. Some serve as poignant callbacks of sad moments fans remember vividly decades later.

"Powerful stories are a central element of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal designer involved with the project. "We built some overarching principles, but finally, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most refined pieces of flavor via gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a sequence FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands with equal force here, communicated entirely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an weapon card. Together, these pieces function like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack altogether. So you can perform this action at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of experience referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Combo

And the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond just these cards. The Jenova card appears in the set 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 hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a tiny connection, but one that implicitly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga to date.