The Zack Fair Card Illustrates How Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Are Capable of Telling Meaningful Narratives.

A significant element of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner so many cards narrate familiar narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender aside. The abilities mirror this with subtlety. This type of flavor is found across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. A number serve as heartbreaking callbacks of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy series," explained a senior designer for the collaboration. "We built some overarching principles, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most clever instances of flavor via mechanics. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the product's central mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits with equal force here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to protect his companion. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the rules in essence let you recreate this whole scene. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. Together, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack completely. So you can perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Central Combo

However, the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. 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 target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that cleverly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series for many fans.