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A significant element of the allure of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner countless cards tell well-known stories. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The abilities mirror this perfectly. These kinds of flavor is prevalent throughout the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. A number are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a key component of the Final Fantasy series," noted a principal designer on the project. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a individual level."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the collection's most refined instances of storytelling through mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the set's key gameplay elements. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the saga will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They finally arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the abilities effectively let you recreate this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces function like this: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage completely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay evoke the memory.

Beyond the Obvious Interaction

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card 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 kind of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that subtly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you recreate the legacy personally. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series to date.