🔗 Share this article

A major part of the charm within the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner numerous cards depict familiar tales. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a snapshot of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a unique shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is found across the whole Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some are poignant callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly years after.

"Moving narratives are a vital component of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a principal designer for the collaboration. "The team established some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a individual level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the set's most refined pieces of storytelling via mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the expansion's key mechanics. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with 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 alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s counters, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, communicated completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

Some necessary backstory, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to look after his comrade. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you relive this whole scene. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards unfold as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack entirely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Obvious Synergy

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends beyond just these cards. 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 target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the series ever made.