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A major part of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner numerous cards depict familiar narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a snapshot of the protagonist at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. This type of flavor is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all joyful stories. A number are poignant callbacks of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Emotional stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal game designer involved with the project. "The team established some general rules, but ultimately, it was mostly on a card-by-card basis."

Even though the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most elegant pieces of storytelling via mechanics. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the set's core mechanics. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those familiar with the story will instantly understand the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, expressed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Moment

A bit of context, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the duo manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They finally make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the rules effectively let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces function like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to negate the attack entirely. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Obvious Combo

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches beyond just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design does not depict his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you reenact the legacy for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the saga to date.