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A core element of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards tell well-known tales. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this with subtlety. Such narrative is found across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some serve as poignant callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly decades later.

"Moving stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a senior game designer involved with the set. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair card isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most clever instances of storytelling by way of rules. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the product's central systems. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will instantly understand the significance behind it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This design depicts a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits just as hard here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to protect his companion. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the rules effectively let you reenact this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these pieces function in this way: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the damage completely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, moving 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 cast two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Central Interaction

But the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches further than just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a tiny reference, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy cliff where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series to date.