🔗 Share this article

A major element of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner so many cards tell iconic narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose key technique is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Several are poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly years after.

"Moving stories are a vital part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior designer for the set. "We built some broad guidelines, but finally, it was largely on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most elegant examples of storytelling by way of mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the product's core gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the significance within it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the hue of good) in this set, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, communicated completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the friends get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to protect his comrade. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you reenact this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these pieces unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack altogether. This allows you to make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of moment alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Main Synergy

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just these cards. 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 target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design does not depict his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment personally. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.