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A core element of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion countless cards depict well-known stories. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this in nuanced ways. Such flavor is widespread in the entire Final Fantasy set, and not all lighthearted tales. Some act as heartbreaking reminders of sad moments fans still mull over to this day.

"Moving tales are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior designer on the set. "The team established some overarching principles, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most clever instances of flavor via mechanics. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the product's core systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will quickly recognize the significance embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, conveyed solely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of history, and here is your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the duo break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his friend. They finally arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Tabletop

In a game, the abilities effectively let you recreate this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out 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 play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to negate the damage completely. So you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Combo

And the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes further than just this combo. 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 then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small reference, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked location where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing for yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a short instant, while playing a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the franchise ever made.