🔗 Share this article

A significant part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion countless cards depict well-known tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities reflect this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not joyful stories. Some act as heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy series," noted a senior designer for the set. "They created some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a individual level."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most elegant examples of narrative design by way of gameplay. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's central mechanics. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an Equipment, onto that other creature.

These mechanics paints a scene FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, conveyed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the duo break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to protect his comrade. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Game Board

In a game, the abilities essentially let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold in this way: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to prevent the attack entirely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Obvious Combo

However, the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the saga ever made.