🔗 Share this article

A core part of the allure of the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the way so many cards tell iconic stories. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that takes a defender out of the way. The abilities mirror this perfectly. This type of storytelling is found in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not lighthearted tales. Some serve as poignant echoes of emotional events fans remember vividly years after.

"Emotional tales are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a lead designer for the project. "The team established some broad guidelines, but finally, it was largely on a case-by-case basis."

While the Zack Fair is not a top-tier card, it is one of the set's most elegant instances of storytelling through mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the saga will instantly understand the significance within it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base stat line of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are very remember, a moment that has been revisited multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates just as hard here, expressed entirely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Card

Some necessary history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Prior to the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a confrontation with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the duo break free. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to take care of his companion. They eventually reach the outskirts outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Left behind, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, setting the stage for the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you reenact this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is a a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, allowing you to search your deck for an artifact card. In combination, these three cards function as follows: 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 play and equip it to Zack.

Owing to the design Zack’s signature action is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to cancel out the attack entirely. So you can perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a powerful 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two spells at no cost. This is just the kind of moment meant when talking about “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design make you remember.

More Than the Obvious Interaction

But the thematic here is incredibly rich, and it reaches past just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER treatment he received, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a small nod, but one that implicitly links the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

The card does not depict his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing yourself. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the franchise for many fans.