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A major part of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way countless cards narrate well-known stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. These kinds of flavor is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some act as poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly years after.

"Moving narratives are a central element of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead game designer for the collaboration. "We built some broad guidelines, but finally, it was mostly on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of storytelling via mechanics. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting 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 ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a sequence FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates with equal force here, communicated solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

A bit of context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended testing, the friends get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They eventually make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

In a game, the rules in essence let you reenact this whole sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an equipment card. Together, these pieces function like this: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to cancel out the damage completely. So you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of moment alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

More Than the Central Combo

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy personally. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the franchise for many fans.