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A major aspect of the allure of the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner countless cards depict well-known stories. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose signature move is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. A number act as heartbreaking callbacks of sad moments fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a principal designer involved with the set. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it is one of the release's most clever instances of flavor through rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an gear, onto that target creature.

This design depicts a scene FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, communicated completely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the duo manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to take care of his comrade. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you recreate this entire event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides 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 equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out like this: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to negate the damage entirely. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of experience referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Combo

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past just Zack and Cloud. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny nod, but one that implicitly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.