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A significant part of the appeal within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way numerous cards depict well-known tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which provides a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose signature move is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this with subtlety. These kinds of flavor is prevalent throughout the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Several serve as heartbreaking echoes of tragedies fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," noted a principal game designer involved with the project. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most refined instances of flavor through rules. It skillfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's central mechanics. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the meaning behind it.

How It Works: Flavor in Rules

For one white mana (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another unit you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This card depicts a scene FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been retold throughout the years — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it hits powerfully here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

For history, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to look after his companion. They eventually arrive at the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by troops. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Reenacting the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield

In a game, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this entire event. The Buster Sword is a a strong piece of armament in the set that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to find for an artifact card. Together, these pieces play out like this: You summon Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “block” an attack and trigger it to negate the attack altogether. So you can make this play at a key moment, passing the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, every time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of experience alluded to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.

More Than the Central Combo

But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes beyond just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the collection 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 sort of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that cleverly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter mechanic in the expansion.

This design doesn't show his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable location where it happens. It isn't necessary. *Magic* allows you to recreate the moment yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the series to date.