🔗 Share this article

A core part of the allure of the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner numerous cards tell familiar stories. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the protagonist at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated Blitzball pro whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics reflect this with subtlety. These kinds of narrative is prevalent across the entire Final Fantasy offering, and some are not fun and games. Several are somber reminders of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Emotional tales are a vital element of the Final Fantasy series," noted a lead game designer on the project. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was primarily on a case-by-case basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the set's most refined instances of flavor through rules. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the product's core mechanics. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the saga will quickly recognize the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to bestow another ally you control indestructible and move all of Zack’s counters, along with an Equipment, onto that chosen creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are all too familiar with, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it lands powerfully here, expressed completely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

For backstory, and consider this 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 testing, the duo get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his friend. They finally make it the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

Through gameplay, the abilities effectively let you recreate this whole sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an equipment card. When used in tandem, these three cards function as follows: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can technically use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to prevent the damage completely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is precisely the kind of experience alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Main Synergy

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This kind of implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

Zack’s card avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the passing yourself. You make the sacrifice. You pass the sword on. And for a brief second, while playing a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.