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A significant aspect of the allure within the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards narrate familiar tales. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose signature move is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this with subtlety. This type of flavor is found in the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Some act as somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over years after.

"Powerful stories are a key component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal game designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but in the end, it was largely on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the set's most elegant pieces of storytelling through rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the significance embedded in it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, plus an Equipment, onto that target creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, expressed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

Some necessary history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They finally reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you reenact this whole scene. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards play out like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the attack altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

But the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches past just this combo. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

This design avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked cliff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while playing a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the saga for many fans.