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A significant element of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards tell iconic tales. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is found in the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. A number are somber echoes of tragedies fans remember vividly years after.

"Powerful tales are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead designer involved with the collaboration. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it is one of the release's most refined pieces of flavor through gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key systems. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the significance embedded in it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a sequence FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, expressed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the pair get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the rules in essence let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces play out in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to prevent the damage entirely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Combo

And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it extends further than just this combo. 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 chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that subtly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the franchise ever made.