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A major part of the allure of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards tell iconic stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. Some are poignant callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Powerful narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a lead designer for the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the collection's most clever pieces of flavor via gameplay. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's central systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates just as hard here, expressed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

For history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his companion. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Battlefield

In a game, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards function like this: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Combo

And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it reaches beyond 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 chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked location where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the legacy for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise to date.