🔗 Share this article Zack Fair Demonstrates How Magic: The Gathering's Crossover Sets Are Capable of Telling Meaningful Stories. A significant element of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict familiar tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this perfectly. This type of flavor is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy set, and not all fun and games. Some act as somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over years after. "Powerful narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer for the project. "The team established some general rules, but finally, it was primarily on a individual basis." Though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most clever pieces of flavor by way of gameplay. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's key mechanics. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the story will immediately grasp the significance within it. The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules For one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that target creature. These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own. The Story Behind the Moment For backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his companion. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*. Reenacting the Moment on the Battlefield Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you recreate this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached. The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these pieces play out as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack. Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. 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 deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory. Extending Past the Main Synergy However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches past just this combo. The Jenova card is part of the collection 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 kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set. This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable bluff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga ever made.