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A major part of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond collection for *Magic: The Gathering* is the manner countless cards depict iconic tales. Take for instance the Tidus, Blitzball Star card, which offers a portrait of the hero at the outset of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that knocks a defender aside. The abilities reflect this with subtlety. Such storytelling is widespread in the whole Final Fantasy set, and some are not fun and games. Some serve as somber echoes of emotional events fans still mull over to this day.

"Powerful tales are a central part of the Final Fantasy legacy," explained a lead designer involved with the collaboration. "They created some general rules, but ultimately, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."

While the Zack Fair card may not be a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most clever examples of storytelling via rules. It artfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most crucial cinematic moments brilliantly, all while capitalizing on some of the set's key mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the story will quickly recognize the emotional weight behind it.

The Mechanics: A Narrative in Play

At a cost of one mana of white (the color of protagonists) in this collection, Zack Fair has a starting stat line of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 counter. By spending one generic mana, you can remove from play the card to grant another ally you control indestructible and transfer all of Zack’s markers, plus an Equipment, onto that other creature.

This design paints a sequence FF fans are very know well, a moment that has been revisited again and again — in the original *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even reimagined retellings in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it lands just as hard here, communicated solely through card abilities. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then inherits the Buster Sword as his own.

The Context of the Scene

For backstory, and consider this your *FF7* warning: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are left for dead after a battle with Sephiroth. Following years of testing, the friends get away. Throughout this period, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to protect his comrade. 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 persona of a elite SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Moment on the Game Board

On the tabletop, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this iconic sequence. The Buster Sword appears as a strong piece of gear in the set that requires three mana and grants the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can turn Zack into a respectable 4/6 while the Buster Sword wielded.

The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has clear combo potential with the Buster Sword, letting you to find for an equipment card. Together, these pieces play out like this: You cast Zack, and he receives the +1/+1 counter. Then you summon Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.

Because of the design Zack’s signature action is structured, you can potentially use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an assault and activate it to negate the damage entirely. This allows you to perform this action at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a formidable 6/4 that, each time he strikes a player, lets you draw two cards and play two spells at no cost. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when talking about “emotional resonance” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the card design evoke the memory.

Beyond the Main Combo

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it extends beyond just this combo. The Jenova card is part of 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 sort of suggests that Zack’s initial +1/+1 token is, figuratively, the SOLDIER conditioning he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle reference, but one that subtly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

The card avoids showing his death, or Cloud’s trauma, or the stormy cliff where it concludes. It does not need to. *Magic* lets you reenact the legacy for yourself. You make the ultimate play. You transfer the sword on. And for a fleeting moment, while playing a card battle, you recall why *Final Fantasy 7* continues to be the most influential game in the franchise ever made.