🔗 Share this article

A significant element of the charm within the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way numerous cards tell iconic stories. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is prevalent across the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some are somber echoes of tragedies fans still mull over years after.

"Moving narratives are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," noted a principal game designer for the project. "They created some general rules, but finally, it was largely on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most refined instances of storytelling through mechanics. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an gear, onto that target creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits powerfully here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the duo manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to take care of his companion. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the card mechanics effectively let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an equipment card. Together, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack completely. So you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of moment referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Extending Past the Obvious Interaction

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond 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 target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that cleverly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing personally. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the saga for many fans.