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A significant element of the appeal within the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion numerous cards narrate iconic stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which gives a glimpse of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is prevalent in the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Some are heartbreaking reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on to this day.

"Moving tales are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a lead designer involved with the project. "The team established some general rules, but in the end, it was largely on a card-by-card level."

Even though the Zack Fair may not be a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most elegant instances of narrative design by way of rules. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will instantly understand the emotional weight within it.

The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the alignment of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to bestow another creature you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed solely through rules text. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended imprisonment, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They finally arrive at the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Abandoned, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Legacy on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities in essence let you recreate this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s sacrifice ability is structured, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the damage altogether. This allows you to do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, each time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of moment meant when discussing “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay evoke the memory.

Beyond the Main Interaction

However, the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just Zack and Cloud. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that cleverly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the passing for yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You hand over the weapon on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise for many fans.