🔗 Share this article

A core part of the appeal found in the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards narrate iconic tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is widespread throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. A number are heartbreaking callbacks of emotional events fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Powerful narratives are a key element of the Final Fantasy series," noted a lead game designer on the collaboration. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a tournament staple, it is one of the collection's most clever instances of flavor via gameplay. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the product's key mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the significance behind it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, plus an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, communicated entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Card

A bit of context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the friends get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Battlefield

In a game, the rules in essence let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to find for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards unfold in this way: You summon Zack, and he gets 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 manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a strong 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of experience alluded to when discussing “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

More Than the Main Interaction

And the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it extends past just Zack and Cloud. 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 then becomes a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a small reference, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked location where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You pass the weapon on. And for a brief second, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.