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A core part of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner so many cards depict familiar narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. Such narrative is widespread throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Several serve as heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer for the project. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it is one of the set's most refined instances of storytelling through gameplay. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the set's central gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the saga will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, along with an gear, onto that other creature.

These mechanics portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands just as hard here, communicated entirely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary backstory, 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 friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They eventually make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you recreate this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to look through your library for an weapon card. In combination, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the damage 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 formidable 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells for free. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just this combo. 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the passing personally. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.