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A major aspect of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards tell well-known tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. This type of flavor is widespread in the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. A number are somber echoes of sad moments fans still mull over years after.

"Emotional narratives are a key element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a principal designer for the set. "They created some overarching principles, but in the end, it was largely on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the set's most clever instances of storytelling through rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the product's key gameplay elements. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the emotional weight embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design paints a sequence FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands with equal force here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

A bit of history, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to take care of 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 assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities in essence let you recreate this whole event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s signature action is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to prevent the attack completely. So you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of experience meant when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Obvious Synergy

And the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just these cards. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design does not depict his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to relive the legacy personally. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the saga ever made.