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A major element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way numerous cards tell well-known narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics mirror this perfectly. Such storytelling is found across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. A number act as poignant callbacks of sad moments fans remember vividly years after.

"Powerful stories are a key part of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer for the project. "We built some overarching principles, but in the end, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it is one of the release's most elegant pieces of storytelling through gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's key gameplay elements. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the story will quickly recognize the meaning behind it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another ally you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s counters, as well as an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This card portrays a moment FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates with equal force here, expressed completely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to take care of his comrade. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules essentially let you reenact this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces unfold like this: You play Zack, and he gains 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.

Because of the way Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the damage entirely. So you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Beyond the Main Combo

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than just this combo. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the legacy for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.