A core aspect of the appeal of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards tell well-known narratives. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous sports star whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender aside. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. This type of storytelling is widespread across the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. A number are heartbreaking reminders of emotional events fans continue to reflect on to this day.
"Moving narratives are a central element of the Final Fantasy series," wrote a principal designer for the project. "We built some general rules, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card level."
While the Zack Fair card may not be a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most elegant examples of narrative design through mechanics. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the meaning embedded in it.
At a cost of one mana of white (the color of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.
These mechanics depicts a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits with equal force here, conveyed completely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.
A bit of context, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the pair break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to take care of his comrade. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.
In a game, the card mechanics effectively let you recreate this whole event. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.
The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an equipment card. In combination, these three cards play out in this way: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.
Because of the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage completely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of experience referred to when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.
But the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes past just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection 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 in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER treatment he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that implicitly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.
The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy location where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to reenact the passing for yourself. You make the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the saga ever made.
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
