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A significant part of the charm found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner so many cards tell iconic stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this in nuanced ways. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent across the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Several act as heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans remember vividly to this day.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior designer involved with the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a individual level."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most refined instances of flavor by way of rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key systems. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the story will quickly recognize the meaning behind it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the alignment of good) in this set, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands just as hard here, conveyed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

For history, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended testing, the duo get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to take care of his companion. They eventually make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the rules effectively let you reenact this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gets 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.

Due to the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to prevent the damage entirely. This allows you to do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of moment meant when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

More Than the Central Synergy

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it reaches beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that implicitly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing personally. You perform the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.