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A significant part of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner so many cards depict familiar narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this with subtlety. These kinds of narrative is widespread in the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some act as poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Powerful stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer for the collaboration. "The team established some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was primarily on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the set's most clever instances of flavor by way of mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's core gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the story will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, along with an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

These mechanics depicts a scene FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates with equal force here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

For history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to look after his comrade. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

In a game, the rules essentially let you recreate this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. Together, these pieces unfold in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack altogether. This allows you to make this play at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Obvious Synergy

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than 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 target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that subtly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment personally. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga ever made.