🔗 Share this article

A core part of the appeal within the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way numerous cards depict well-known stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics reflect this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is prevalent across the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Some act as somber callbacks of tragedies fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Emotional narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a lead game designer on the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most elegant examples of narrative design by way of rules. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal dramatic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the tale will quickly recognize the meaning within it.

How It Works: A Narrative in Play

For one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an artifact weapon, onto that other creature.

This design portrays a scene FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, conveyed solely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to look after his friend. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

On the tabletop, the card mechanics essentially let you recreate this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

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

Due to the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to cancel out the damage entirely. So you can make this play at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Combo

But the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it goes past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card is part of the set 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 kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a tiny reference, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

The card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the passing yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the saga ever made.