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A core element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards depict well-known stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. This type of flavor is found throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. Several serve as poignant reminders of sad moments fans remember vividly decades later.

"Moving narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior game designer for the set. "We built some overarching principles, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the set's most clever examples of flavor via mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's core mechanics. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This design portrays a sequence FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits just as hard here, conveyed 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

For context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to protect his companion. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the card mechanics effectively let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an weapon card. Together, these pieces unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage altogether. This allows you to make this play at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Obvious Synergy

And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the passing for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the sword on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the series to date.