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A significant aspect of the appeal of the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner numerous cards depict well-known tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. This type of narrative is found throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. A number act as heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Powerful narratives are a central component of the Final Fantasy series," explained a principal designer on the project. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it is one of the collection's most refined pieces of storytelling via rules. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's central systems. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another creature you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that other creature.

This card depicts a sequence FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits powerfully here, expressed completely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the pair get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the card mechanics in essence let you recreate this entire scene. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of armament in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the damage entirely. So you can do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Interaction

And the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it extends past just this combo. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the series ever made.