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A core element of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards tell well-known narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules reflect this in nuanced ways. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent in the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. A number serve as somber echoes of tragedies fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving stories are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a lead designer for the project. "The team established some overarching principles, but finally, it was largely on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it stands as one of the set's most clever instances of storytelling via rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the meaning within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, expressed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the pair get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to look after his comrade. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities effectively let you recreate this whole sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that costs three mana and gives 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 wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards function in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. So you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Beyond the Main Combo

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that subtly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga to date.