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A major part of the allure of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards depict familiar tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. This type of narrative is widespread in the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all fun and games. A number act as somber reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a senior designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some overarching principles, but in the end, it was mostly on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the set's most clever instances of flavor by way of rules. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the meaning embedded in it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

For one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands with equal force here, communicated 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

A bit of context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the duo manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities essentially let you relive this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces function as follows: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the attack entirely. So you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards for free. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Beyond the Central Combo

And the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it reaches further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design does not depict his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the legacy on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.