🔗 Share this article

A major element of the charm within the *Final Fantasy* crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards narrate well-known tales. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a glimpse of the character at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned Blitzball pro whose key technique is a fancy shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules represent this with subtlety. This type of flavor is prevalent throughout the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. A number serve as heartbreaking callbacks of sad moments fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional tales are a key component of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a principal game designer involved with the set. "The team established some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was mostly on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the collection's most clever examples of flavor through rules. It skillfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important cinematic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the set's central mechanics. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those who know the saga will instantly understand the meaning behind it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s markers, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it lands with equal force here, expressed 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

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended testing, the pair manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to look after his companion. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the rules essentially let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards unfold in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the manner Zack’s signature action is structured, you can technically use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage entirely. Therefore, you can do this at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when discussing “flavorful design” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

More Than the Obvious Interaction

However, the thematic here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes beyond just these cards. 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 also becomes a Mutant. This sort of hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a small connection, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the rain-soaked bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you reenact the moment personally. You perform the ultimate play. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the series to date.