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A core part of the charm of the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond set for *Magic: The Gathering* is the way so many cards tell familiar tales. Cards like the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which gives a snapshot of the character at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a wildly famous professional athlete whose signature move is a unique shot that knocks a defender out of the way. The abilities represent this perfectly. These kinds of flavor is found across the whole Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all lighthearted tales. Several act as somber reminders of tragedies fans continue to reflect on years after.

"Moving stories are a key element of the Final Fantasy legacy," wrote a senior game designer on the set. "They created some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a case-by-case level."

Even though the Zack Fair card isn't a tournament staple, it represents one of the release's most refined instances of storytelling by way of rules. It masterfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most pivotal cinematic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the expansion's central gameplay elements. And although it steers clear of spoiling anything, those acquainted with the tale will quickly recognize the significance within it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

For one white mana (the hue of protagonists) in this set, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By paying one generic mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another ally you control protection from destruction and move all of Zack’s bonuses, along with an Equipment, onto that target creature.

This design portrays a scene FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been retold multiple times — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, conveyed solely through card abilities. Zack makes the ultimate sacrifice to save Cloud, who then picks up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Moment

Some necessary context, and consider this your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the primary events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a confrontation with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the friends break free. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack ensures to look after his companion. They finally make it the edge outside Midgar before Zack is fatally wounded by forces. Presumed dead, Cloud in that moment claims Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a elite SOLDIER, leading directly into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Game Board

Through gameplay, the card mechanics essentially let you relive this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a powerful piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and grants the equipped creature +3/+2. Therefore, using six mana, you can make Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate synergy with the Buster Sword, letting you to search your deck for an weapon card. In combination, these pieces function in this way: You cast Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to retrieve the Buster Sword out of your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Due to the design Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and activate it to prevent the damage entirely. 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 powerful 6/4 that, every time he deals combat damage a player, lets you pull extra cards and play two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment meant when talking about “flavorful design” — not revealing the scene, but letting the mechanics make you remember.

More Than the Central Synergy

And the flavor here is incredibly rich, and it goes further than just these cards. The Jenova card appears in the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which also becomes a Mutant. This kind of hints that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a tiny nod, but one that cleverly ties the entire SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter theme in the expansion.

This design avoids showing his end, or Cloud’s trauma, or the rain-soaked bluff where it happens. It doesn't have to. *Magic* lets you reenact the passing personally. You make the sacrifice. You hand over the legacy on. And for a short instant, while enjoying a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* remains the most impactful game in the saga for many fans.