🔗 Share this article

A significant element of the allure found in the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion numerous cards depict iconic stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics mirror this with subtlety. These kinds of flavor is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and not all fun and games. Some are heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans still mull over decades later.

"Moving tales are a central component of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a principal designer for the set. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card basis."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it represents one of the release's most clever examples of flavor via rules. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the product's key mechanics. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the tale will immediately grasp the significance within it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting stat line of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another creature you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that chosen creature.

These mechanics portrays a moment FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, communicated entirely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

A bit of backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the pair break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is delirious, but Zack ensures to protect his comrade. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out like this: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. So you can make this play at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design trigger the recollection.

Beyond the Central Combo

However, the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just this combo. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that cleverly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to relive the moment for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the legacy on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the series to date.