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A core aspect of the charm of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards depict well-known stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is found throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. A number are heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional tales are a vital part of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a senior designer for the collaboration. "They created some broad guidelines, but finally, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it is one of the set's most elegant pieces of storytelling by way of gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the significance embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits just as hard here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

Some necessary context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to look after his friend. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules effectively let you relive this whole scene. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides 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 attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards play out like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. This allows you to perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of experience meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Central Combo

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a subtle reference, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to relive the passing personally. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the saga ever made.