🔗 Share this article The Zack Fair Card Illustrates That 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 set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way countless cards tell iconic narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is widespread in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Several act as heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans remember vividly years after. "Moving stories are a central element of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a lead game designer for the set. "The team established some overarching principles, but in the end, it was primarily on a individual basis." Though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it is one of the release's most clever instances of storytelling through rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's central mechanics. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the tale will instantly understand the significance embedded in it. How It Works: Flavor in Rules At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature. This card portrays a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands with equal force here, expressed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own. A Spoiler for the Moment Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the friends manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, 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*. Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield In a game, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached. The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards function in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack. Because of the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to negate the attack entirely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time 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 moment referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay evoke the memory. Beyond the Main Combo And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it extends 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a tiny nod, but one that subtly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set. The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga to date.