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A significant aspect of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards narrate familiar tales. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The abilities reflect this perfectly. This type of narrative is found in the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all fun and games. A number are poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Emotional stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal designer for the set. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the set's most clever instances of storytelling by way of rules. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the product's key gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the meaning behind it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, expressed entirely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

For context, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the duo manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his companion. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Game Board

In a game, the card mechanics in essence let you relive this whole scene. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. Together, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play 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 designed, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to prevent the damage altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Combo

But the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just Zack and Cloud. 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 kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny connection, but one that subtly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you reenact the moment for yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.