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A major aspect of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way numerous cards depict iconic stories. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this perfectly. Such storytelling is widespread across the whole Final Fantasy set, and not all joyful stories. Several act as somber callbacks of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Emotional tales are a vital part of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a principal game designer for the project. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most refined instances of storytelling through gameplay. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments brilliantly, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s counters, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This card depicts a moment FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, communicated completely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the duo manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They eventually make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Moment on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the rules effectively let you reenact this whole event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

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

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the damage completely. Therefore, you can perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Main Interaction

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that subtly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it all ends. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the moment yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.