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A major part of the appeal of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards depict iconic stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found across the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several act as heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Moving narratives are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a lead designer for the set. "They created some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it is one of the release's most elegant instances of flavor via mechanics. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's central gameplay elements. And while it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the saga will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands with equal force here, conveyed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his friend. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules effectively let you recreate this whole event. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that costs three mana and grants 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 equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an weapon card. Together, these pieces function like this: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to cancel out the damage altogether. Therefore, you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of experience referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Central Combo

And the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes past just these cards. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga for many fans.