🔗 Share this article

A significant aspect of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion so many cards tell familiar stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. This type of flavor is widespread in the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Some are heartbreaking callbacks of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Moving narratives are a central element of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior designer for the project. "The team established some overarching principles, but finally, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most clever examples of narrative design through rules. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's central gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will instantly understand the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Game Board

In a game, the abilities essentially let you recreate this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an weapon card. Together, these pieces function in this way: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to prevent the attack completely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of moment referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Beyond the Obvious Synergy

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches beyond just these cards. The Jenova card 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 kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy cliff where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to recreate the legacy yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.