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A major aspect of the charm found in the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion so many cards narrate iconic narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. Such flavor is widespread across the whole Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several act as somber echoes of emotional events fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional stories are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior game designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most elegant examples of narrative design by way of rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the product's core systems. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that target creature.

These mechanics depicts a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands with equal force here, expressed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the duo break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules in essence let you relive this entire scene. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped 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, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to prevent the attack completely. Therefore, you can do this at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Central Interaction

However, the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends further than just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment for yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the saga for many fans.