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A significant element of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards tell iconic narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. This type of narrative is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. A number act as poignant echoes of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving narratives are a key component of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead designer involved with the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was mostly on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the set's most refined pieces of flavor via gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's central gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated entirely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics in essence let you relive this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold like this: You cast Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack completely. So you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of moment meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Combo

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable location where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga ever made.