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A major aspect of the charm of the *Final Fantasy* Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion so many cards depict familiar tales. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a fancy shot that takes a defender aside. The gameplay rules mirror this in nuanced ways. This type of flavor is found throughout the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some serve as poignant echoes of tragedies fans remember vividly decades later.

"Powerful stories are a central component of the Final Fantasy franchise," noted a lead game designer for the set. "They created some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was primarily on a individual basis."

Though the Zack Fair is not a competitive powerhouse, it stands as one of the set's most elegant pieces of storytelling via gameplay. It masterfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's core systems. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the story will immediately grasp the significance behind it.

The Card's Design: Story Through Gameplay

For one white mana (the color of heroes) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but arrives with a +1/+1 token. For the cost of one generic mana, you can destroy the card to give another unit you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s markers, plus an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This card paints a moment FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been retold again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined iterations in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it hits powerfully here, conveyed entirely through card abilities. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Moment

For backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended testing, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by forces. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Game Board

In a game, the card mechanics effectively let you reenact this iconic event. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of armament in the set that costs three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can transform Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear synergy with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces function like this: You play Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to pull the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack completely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, every time he does damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and cast two spells without paying their mana cost. This is exactly the kind of experience meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

More Than the Obvious Interaction

But the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the set 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 hints that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle nod, but one that cleverly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card avoids showing his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the memorable bluff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to reenact the moment personally. You choose the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise to date.