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A major element of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner countless cards depict well-known stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of narrative is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Several serve as poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly to this day.

"Powerful tales are a key element of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a senior designer for the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair card may not be a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most refined examples of narrative design by way of gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the set's central systems. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will instantly understand the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

These mechanics depicts a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands just as hard here, expressed solely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the pair get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to look after his companion. They finally arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the rules in essence let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards play out like this: You cast Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. So 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, whenever he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of moment alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Main Synergy

However, the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes beyond just these cards. The Jenova card 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 then becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle connection, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment personally. You choose the ultimate play. You pass the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.