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A significant part of the charm found in the Final Fantasy crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards narrate iconic stories. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a unique shot that takes a defender aside. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is prevalent in the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not joyful stories. Some act as heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Emotional stories are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," wrote a principal game designer on the collaboration. "They created some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it is one of the set's most refined pieces of storytelling via gameplay. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core mechanics. And while it avoids revealing anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s markers, along with an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics paints a moment FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands just as hard here, conveyed solely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

For backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the duo manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the role of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the abilities effectively let you recreate this whole event. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that requires three mana and gives the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold as follows: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to cancel out the damage entirely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, each time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells for free. This is just the kind of moment meant when talking about “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

Extending Past the Central Interaction

However, the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it extends past just these cards. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection 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 hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.