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A core aspect of the charm within the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards tell well-known narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this with subtlety. This type of narrative is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. A number act as poignant callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly to this day.

"Moving narratives are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer involved with the project. "They created some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the collection's most clever instances of narrative design by way of mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the product's key mechanics. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the tale will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an gear, onto that other creature.

This design paints a scene FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, conveyed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities in essence let you relive this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these pieces function as follows: You cast Zack, and he gains 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.

Because of the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the attack entirely. Therefore, you can make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of experience referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Synergy

And the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it goes past just these cards. The Jenova card is part of 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 starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a tiny reference, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to reenact the legacy personally. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a short instant, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the franchise for many fans.