The Zack Fair Card Illustrates How Magic's Crossover Sets Can Tell Emotional Narratives.
A significant aspect of the allure within the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion numerous cards narrate well-known narratives. Consider the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a snapshot of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose key technique is a unique shot that takes a defender out of the way. The card's mechanics represent this with subtlety. These kinds of flavor is prevalent in the entire Final Fantasy set, and some are not lighthearted tales. Several are heartbreaking echoes of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.
"Moving tales are a key part of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a senior designer on the project. "They created some overarching principles, but finally, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."
Even though the Zack Fair may not be a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the set's most elegant pieces of narrative design via rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while utilizing some of the set's key systems. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the tale will immediately grasp the emotional weight within it.
The Card's Design: A Narrative in Play
At a cost of one mana of white (the alignment of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.
This design depicts a moment FF fans are extremely familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits powerfully here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.
The Context of the Scene
Some necessary history, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the duo manage to escape. The entire time, Cloud is delirious, but Zack vows to take care of his comrade. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Left behind, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.
Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Game Board
In a game, the rules essentially let you recreate this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.
The Cloud Strife card also has intentional synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to look through your library for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces play out as follows: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.
Because of the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the damage entirely. So you can make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he deals combat damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells for free. This is just the kind of experience alluded to when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection.
Extending Past the Central Synergy
However, the narrative here is deeply satisfying, and it extends further than just these cards. 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 sort of implies that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. This is a small nod, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.
Zack’s card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the memorable location where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the legacy yourself. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most beloved game in the saga ever made.
