🔗 Share this article

A core part of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards tell iconic narratives. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose signature move is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this perfectly. Such flavor is found across the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Several are somber callbacks of sad moments fans remember vividly to this day.

"Emotional stories are a vital part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal designer involved with the set. "We built some general rules, but finally, it was mostly on a individual basis."

While the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it stands as one of the collection's most refined pieces of storytelling through rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, communicated entirely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

A bit of history, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of imprisonment, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his friend. They eventually arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Battlefield

In a game, the abilities essentially let you recreate this whole scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces function as follows: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the damage altogether. So you can make this play at any time, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards without paying their mana cost. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Main Interaction

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches beyond just these cards. The Jenova card 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 additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that implicitly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

The card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the memorable location where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the passing personally. You perform the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise for many fans.