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A core element of the allure of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion numerous cards narrate iconic tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics reflect this in nuanced ways. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent across the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Several serve as heartbreaking callbacks of tragedies fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving stories are a key component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer for the collaboration. "The team established some overarching principles, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the collection's most elegant instances of narrative design through gameplay. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the expansion's core mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will instantly understand the emotional weight behind it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a moment FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates with equal force here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his comrade. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the rules effectively let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to negate the damage entirely. This allows you to do this at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

However, the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the series for many fans.