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A major part of the charm found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* lies in the fashion countless cards tell iconic tales. Consider Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous Blitzball pro whose secret weapon is a unique shot that pushes a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules reflect this in nuanced ways. Such flavor is widespread in the whole Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Several act as somber echoes of sad moments fans remember vividly years after.

"Moving narratives are a key part of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a senior game designer on the set. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a top-tier card, it represents one of the collection's most clever pieces of storytelling through rules. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments with great effect, all while leveraging some of the expansion's key gameplay elements. And even if it steers clear of spoiling anything, those familiar with the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Flavor in Rules

For one mana of white (the alignment of good) in this collection, Zack Fair is a starting power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This design paints a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, communicated entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Card

A bit of backstory, and here is your *FF7* spoiler alert: Before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are severely injured after a battle with Sephiroth. After years of experimentation, the duo break free. The entire time, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack ensures to protect his friend. They eventually make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules in essence let you relive this iconic scene. The Buster Sword is featured as a top-tier piece of equipment in the collection that costs three mana and provides the equipped creature +3/+2. Thus, with an investment of six mana, you can make Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an equipment card. In combination, these pieces play out in this way: You cast Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack.

Due to the way Zack’s signature action is worded, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an assault and activate it to negate the attack entirely. Therefore, you can make this play at a key moment, transferring the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and cast two spells at no cost. This is precisely the kind of interaction referred to when discussing “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics trigger the recollection.

More Than the Main Synergy

But the thematic here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches further than just this combo. The Jenova card appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. This is a subtle connection, but one that subtly links the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

Zack’s card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the stormy bluff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* enables you to recreate the passing personally. You make the sacrifice. You pass the weapon on. And for a short instant, while engaged in a strategy game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the franchise ever made.