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A significant part of the charm found in the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards tell familiar tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose key technique is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this with subtlety. This type of narrative is found across the entire Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. A number are heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Moving tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy series," noted a lead designer involved with the project. "We built some overarching principles, but in the end, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most refined instances of flavor through gameplay. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central systems. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the significance embedded in it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This design portrays a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

A bit of context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to look after his comrade. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities effectively let you reenact this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear 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, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these three cards unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack completely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Obvious Combo

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that implicitly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing personally. You choose the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the saga ever made.