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A significant aspect of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner numerous cards depict familiar narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities reflect this with subtlety. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent in the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. A number serve as somber echoes of sad moments fans still mull over to this day.

"Emotional tales are a central element of the Final Fantasy series," explained a lead game designer for the collaboration. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it is one of the release's most elegant examples of flavor by way of mechanics. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the tale will instantly understand the meaning within it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a scene FF fans are all too remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. Together, these three cards unfold in this way: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage completely. This allows you to do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of moment referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Main Interaction

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This sort of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing personally. You perform the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the franchise to date.