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A significant aspect of the appeal of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards depict well-known tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this perfectly. These kinds of flavor is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. Several act as somber reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional tales are a vital part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer involved with the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a individual basis."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most elegant examples of storytelling through mechanics. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And although it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the tale will quickly recognize the emotional weight embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the color of good) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a scene FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been reimagined again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits powerfully here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of history, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After extended experimentation, the pair break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his friend. They eventually reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you reenact this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards play out as follows: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out 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 powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells for free. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

More Than the Main Synergy

And the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches further than just these cards. 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 chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny connection, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the set.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the franchise ever made.