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A major part of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion so many cards narrate familiar tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities represent this perfectly. This type of flavor is found in the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Several are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a senior designer for the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most elegant instances of storytelling through gameplay. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's central gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another ally you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

For context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the pair break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to take care of his companion. They finally arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules essentially let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out in this way: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage completely. So you can do this at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of moment alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Central Combo

However, the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes past just Zack and Cloud. 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 target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy cliff where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to reenact the moment for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the saga for many fans.