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A significant part of the allure of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way countless cards narrate familiar narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. This type of flavor is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and not all joyful stories. A number are heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional tales are a vital component of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior game designer on the project. "The team established some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a individual level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the release's most clever examples of narrative design by way of rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the set's core gameplay elements. And although it avoids revealing anything, those who know the saga will instantly understand the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, as well as an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics depicts a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates just as hard here, expressed solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the pair manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his companion. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you recreate this entire scene. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces function in this way: 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 cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack altogether. This allows you to perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards for free. This is just the kind of moment referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

More Than the Central Interaction

However, the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.