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A significant element of the charm of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards depict iconic narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. Such flavor is found across the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. A number act as somber echoes of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional narratives are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a senior designer involved with the set. "The team established some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most elegant examples of flavor via rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the product's core systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the meaning embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, expressed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the friends break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack altogether. This allows you to 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, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of experience referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Interaction

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it goes beyond just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked location where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the legacy yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.