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A significant aspect of the appeal found in the *Final Fantasy* crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the fashion numerous cards narrate familiar tales. Take for instance Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the hero at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a celebrated professional athlete whose secret weapon is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities represent this in nuanced ways. Such storytelling is found in the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Some serve as somber reminders of emotional events fans remember vividly to this day.

"Moving narratives are a vital element of the Final Fantasy franchise," explained a principal game designer involved with the project. "We built some broad guidelines, but ultimately, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair isn't a tournament staple, it stands as one of the set's most elegant instances of storytelling via mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial dramatic moments in spectacular fashion, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's core systems. And while it avoids revealing anything, those acquainted with the story will instantly understand the emotional weight within it.

The Mechanics: Story Through Gameplay

At a cost of one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair has a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can sacrifice the card to grant another creature you control indestructible and put all of Zack’s markers, as well as an gear, onto that chosen creature.

This design portrays a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been reimagined multiple times — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates with equal force here, conveyed completely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

A Spoiler for the Scene

A bit of backstory, and take this as your *FF7* warning: Before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a clash with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the pair manage to escape. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack makes sure to protect his friend. They eventually reach the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the role of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Simulating the Moment on the Tabletop

On the tabletop, the rules essentially let you reenact this whole event. The Buster Sword appears as a top-tier piece of gear in the set that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can turn Zack into a formidable 4/6 with the Buster Sword attached.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an equipment card. Together, these three cards unfold like this: You summon Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Due to the manner Zack’s signature action is designed, you can potentially use it when blocking, meaning you can “block” an attack and activate it to negate the damage altogether. This allows you to make this play at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He subsequently becomes a strong 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is just the kind of interaction referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not explaining the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Obvious Synergy

But the flavor here is oh-so-delicious, and it reaches further than just this combo. The Jenova, Ancient Calamity is part of the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, places a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This kind of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included genetic manipulation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that implicitly connects the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the set.

This design does not depict his demise, or Cloud’s breakdown, or the rain-soaked cliff where it happens. It does not need to. *Magic* allows you to recreate the legacy personally. You choose the sacrifice. You transfer the weapon on. And for a brief second, while playing a trading card game, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most beloved game in the franchise to date.