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A major aspect of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion so many cards narrate iconic tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender aside. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. This type of storytelling is found throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. A number are poignant callbacks of tragedies fans still mull over years after.

"Moving stories are a central element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a lead game designer for the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Even though the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most refined examples of storytelling via rules. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the set's key systems. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the saga will quickly recognize the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another creature you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s markers, as well as an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands just as hard here, conveyed solely 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 context, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the friends break free. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. They finally arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the card mechanics effectively let you relive this iconic event. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an artifact card. Together, these pieces unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack completely. So you can perform this action at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells for free. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Central Synergy

But the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past just these cards. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

This design does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the passing for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most beloved game in the series ever made.