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A significant part of the allure within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards narrate well-known tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. This type of storytelling is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Several are heartbreaking reminders of tragedies fans still mull over years after.

"Powerful stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead game designer on the collaboration. "The team established some overarching principles, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most elegant examples of narrative design by way of gameplay. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the product's central gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the significance within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics depicts a sequence FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits powerfully here, conveyed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the friends get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to prevent the damage completely. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of experience meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Interaction

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends past just this combo. 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to recreate the moment yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a short instant, while playing a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise to date.