🔗 Share this article

A core aspect of the appeal found in the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the way numerous cards depict well-known narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a snapshot of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this perfectly. Such flavor is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. A number serve as poignant reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional tales are a vital part of the Final Fantasy series," noted a principal designer on the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a case-by-case level."

While the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it is one of the collection's most elegant pieces of flavor through rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core systems. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, expressed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For backstory, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They eventually make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you reenact this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an artifact card. Together, these three cards unfold like this: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to negate the attack altogether. So you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of moment referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Central Synergy

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it extends past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment personally. You make the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise to date.