Zack Fair Demonstrates That Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Can Tell Meaningful Narratives.

A core element of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards tell iconic narratives. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a snapshot of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose key technique is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. Such narrative is widespread throughout the whole Final Fantasy offering, and they aren't all fun and games. Several are somber echoes of sad moments fans remember vividly years after.

"Powerful stories are a central element of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a lead game designer for the set. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it is one of the set's most refined examples of narrative design via mechanics. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the product's core mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the meaning within it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s counters, along with an gear, onto that target creature.

This card paints a scene FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates powerfully here, communicated completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of experimentation, the duo get away. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his friend. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Tabletop

Through gameplay, the card mechanics effectively let you reenact this whole event. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards function in this way: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can technically use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack completely. So you can make this play at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of moment alluded to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Main Interaction

However, the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts 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, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny reference, but one that subtly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

Zack’s card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to reenact the moment yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a short instant, while playing a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the series to date.