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A major element of the allure of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way countless cards narrate familiar tales. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is found in the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Several are somber callbacks of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Powerful tales are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a principal designer for the set. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the set's most clever examples of storytelling by way of rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

For one mana of white (the hue of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, as well as an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his comrade. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the rules effectively let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

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

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

More Than the Central Synergy

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it reaches further than just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable cliff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the series ever made.