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A major element of the appeal within the Final Fantasy crossover set for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the manner countless cards depict familiar tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the character at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a fancy shot that takes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this perfectly. These kinds of storytelling is widespread across the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all fun and games. Some act as heartbreaking callbacks of sad moments fans continue to reflect on decades later.

"Emotional narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a lead designer for the set. "We built some general rules, but finally, it was largely on a individual level."

Though the Zack Fair is not a tournament staple, it stands as one of the release's most clever instances of flavor by way of rules. It skillfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal story moments brilliantly, all while leveraging some of the product's central systems. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those who know the saga will immediately grasp the meaning embedded in it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the hue of good) in this set, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an artifact weapon, onto that target creature.

This card portrays a scene FF fans are extremely know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline iterations in *FF7 Remake*. But somehow it resonates with equal force here, conveyed solely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

For history, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following extended experimentation, the duo get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack makes sure to take care of his friend. They finally reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is gunned down by forces. Left behind, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules essentially let you recreate this entire event. The Buster Sword appears as a powerful piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an equipment card. Together, these three cards function as follows: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s sacrifice ability is designed, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the attack completely. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a formidable 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells without paying their mana cost. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not explaining the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.

Extending Past the Main Synergy

But the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it goes 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 chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.

The card doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked cliff where it all ends. It isn't necessary. *Magic* lets you recreate the moment for yourself. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the sword on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a strategy game, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most impactful game in the saga ever made.