🔗 Share this article The Zack Fair Card Demonstrates How Magic's Crossover Sets Can Tell Emotional Narratives. A major element of the allure within the *Final Fantasy* crossover release for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion countless cards depict iconic stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a glimpse of the hero at the beginning of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose key technique is a fancy shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The gameplay rules mirror this perfectly. Such narrative is found in the complete Final Fantasy offering, and some are not joyful stories. Some serve as heartbreaking reminders of sad moments fans remember vividly years after. "Moving tales are a vital component of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a lead designer for the project. "We built some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a individual level." Though the Zack Fair card may not be a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most refined instances of narrative design through mechanics. It artfully echoes one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments with great effect, all while utilizing some of the set's key systems. And while it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the saga will quickly recognize the meaning behind it. How It Works: Flavor in Rules At a cost of one mana of white (the hue of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 marker. By spending one generic mana, you can sacrifice the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and put all of Zack’s counters, as well as an Equipment, onto that other creature. This card paints a scene FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined versions in *FF7 Remake*. Yet it resonates just as hard here, communicated completely through rules text. Zack gives his life to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own. The Story Behind the Card Some necessary backstory, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After years of testing, the friends manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is delirious, but Zack makes sure to protect his companion. They finally make it the plains outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and adopts the persona of a first-class SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*. Reenacting the Moment on the Tabletop On the tabletop, the abilities effectively let you recreate this entire scene. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the set that requires three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword equipped. The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an artifact card. In combination, these pieces function like this: You play Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you play and equip it to Zack. Owing to the way Zack’s sacrifice ability is worded, you can actually use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to prevent the attack entirely. So you can do this at any time, passing 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 gain card advantage and play two cards at no cost. This is just the kind of interaction meant when discussing “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the gameplay trigger the recollection. More Than the Central Interaction And the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it goes beyond just this combo. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This in a way implies that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle nod, but one that cleverly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion. Zack’s card does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy cliff where it all ends. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you relive the legacy for yourself. You choose the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while engaged in a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most impactful game in the saga ever made.