Zack Fair Proves That Magic's Universes Beyond Are Capable of Telling Emotional Narratives.

A core part of the allure within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner so many cards narrate familiar tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a unique shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this in nuanced ways. This type of flavor is prevalent throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. Some act as somber callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional tales are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a senior designer involved with the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was mostly on a individual level."

While the Zack Fair card isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most clever examples of flavor by way of rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And while it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, plus an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a moment FF fans are all too know well, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates with equal force here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

A bit of context, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of imprisonment, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his friend. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the rules in essence let you recreate this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces function as follows: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the attack altogether. This allows you to perform this action at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Extending Past the Central Combo

And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it goes beyond just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a small connection, but one that subtly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable location where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you relive the moment personally. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series ever made.