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A significant part of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner numerous cards narrate iconic tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several serve as poignant echoes of sad moments fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a principal designer on the collaboration. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was largely on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most elegant instances of storytelling via gameplay. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the product's key gameplay elements. And even if it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will immediately grasp the significance within it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the pair break free. The entire time, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to protect his friend. They finally arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up 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 Tabletop

On the tabletop, the card mechanics essentially let you reenact this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards function like this: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack entirely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Obvious Combo

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches further than just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card does not depict his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable cliff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the moment yourself. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.