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A core aspect of the allure found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards tell iconic stories. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics reflect this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is prevalent throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. Some act as heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional stories are a vital component of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a senior designer involved with the set. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the release's most elegant instances of storytelling via gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the significance behind it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

For one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, along with an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics depicts a scene FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed solely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the friends manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities effectively let you relive this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. Together, these three cards unfold like this: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to prevent the attack entirely. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Obvious Combo

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection 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 kind of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the saga to date.