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A significant element of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict iconic narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a portrait of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. Such flavor is widespread throughout the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Some serve as somber reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a principal designer involved with the collaboration. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the set's most elegant examples of flavor by way of mechanics. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s counters, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

These mechanics depicts a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, expressed entirely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

Some necessary context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the duo manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces play out 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 summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of experience referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Central Synergy

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny reference, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to reenact the moment for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the sword on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the series to date.