The Zack Fair Card Illustrates That Magic's Universes Beyond Are Capable of Telling Emotional Stories.

A major element of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner numerous cards tell familiar narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this in nuanced ways. Such flavor is prevalent across the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Some act as heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Powerful stories are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal game designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it represents one of the release's most clever instances of flavor via rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's key systems. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the story will instantly understand the significance behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands with equal force here, conveyed solely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of context, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following extended testing, the friends get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities effectively let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of armament in the set that costs three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold in this way: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. So you can 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, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells for free. This is just the kind of experience meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

Beyond the Main Synergy

However, the narrative here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set 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 sort of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable bluff where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the moment yourself. You make the sacrifice. You transfer the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga ever made.