🔗 Share this article

A significant aspect of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner countless cards tell well-known narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is widespread across the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Several serve as poignant echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Moving narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal game designer for the project. "They created some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it is one of the set's most refined examples of flavor by way of gameplay. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the set's core systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the saga will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

The Card's Design: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that other creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, communicated completely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

For history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to protect his comrade. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you recreate this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s signature action is designed, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to prevent the damage altogether. This allows you to do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Obvious Synergy

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy location where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to reenact the moment personally. You perform the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the saga for many fans.