🔗 Share this article

A core element of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way countless cards depict familiar narratives. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose signature move is a specialized shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules mirror this in nuanced ways. These kinds of narrative is widespread throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several act as somber callbacks of tragedies fans remember vividly to this day.

"Moving tales are a central part of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a lead designer on the set. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was mostly on a card-by-card level."

Though the Zack Fair card is not a top-tier card, it is one of the collection's most refined examples of flavor through rules. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the expansion's central systems. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the saga will quickly recognize the significance within it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to grant another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s counters, plus an gear, onto that chosen creature.

This card depicts a moment FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands powerfully here, expressed solely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

For context, 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 years of experimentation, the duo break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his friend. They finally reach the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Tabletop

In a game, the card mechanics effectively let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of equipment in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

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

Owing to the design Zack’s signature action is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to prevent the attack altogether. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards for free. This is precisely the kind of interaction alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

More Than the Central Interaction

However, the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it reaches further than just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that implicitly connects 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 cliff where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing yourself. You perform the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a brief second, while playing a trading card game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the saga to date.