The Zack Fair Card Demonstrates How Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Can Tell Powerful Narratives.

A major part of the charm within the Final Fantasy Universes Beyond release for *Magic: The Gathering* is the fashion so many cards tell iconic narratives. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which offers a portrait of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned professional athlete whose key technique is a specialized shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules mirror this perfectly. This type of storytelling is prevalent throughout the entire Final Fantasy offering, and not all lighthearted tales. Several act as poignant reminders of emotional events fans still mull over decades later.

"Emotional narratives are a central part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a principal game designer involved with the set. "The team established some overarching principles, but ultimately, it was largely on a card-by-card basis."

Though the Zack Fair isn't a top-tier card, it stands as one of the release's most refined instances of narrative design via gameplay. It masterfully captures one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments in spectacular fashion, all while leveraging some of the set's core mechanics. And even if it doesn't spoil anything, those acquainted with the saga will instantly understand the meaning behind it.

How It Works: Story Through Gameplay

For one mana of white (the color of heroes) in this collection, Zack Fair is a base power and toughness of 0/1 but comes into play with a +1/+1 counter. For the cost of one colorless mana, you can remove from play the card to give another ally you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an artifact weapon, onto that chosen creature.

This design depicts a sequence FF fans are extremely remember, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the first *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even new iterations in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it resonates just as hard here, communicated solely through rules text. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.

The Story Behind the Scene

A bit of history, and take this as your *FF7* spoiler alert: Years before the main events of the game, Zack and Cloud are gravely wounded after a clash with Sephiroth. After extended imprisonment, the friends get away. During their ordeal, Cloud is comatose, but Zack vows to take care of his friend. They eventually arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by Shinra soldiers. Abandoned, Cloud subsequently grabs Zack’s Buster Sword and assumes the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.

Playing Out the Legacy on the Tabletop

In a game, the rules essentially let you relive this entire sequence. The Buster Sword is a a top-tier piece of armament in the collection that costs three mana and gives the equipped creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can transform Zack into a formidable 4/6 while the Buster Sword equipped.

The Cloud Strife card also has deliberate combo potential with the Buster Sword, enabling you to search your deck for an artifact card. When used in tandem, these three cards play out as follows: You summon Zack, and he gains the +1/+1 counter. Then you cast Cloud to pull the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you summon and give it to Zack.

Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can potentially use it in the middle of battle, meaning you can “block” an assault and trigger it to cancel out the attack entirely. Therefore, you can perform this action at a key moment, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He then becomes a powerful 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you draw two cards and play two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of moment referred to when talking about “narrative impact” — not revealing the scene, but letting the gameplay make you remember.

More Than the Central Interaction

However, the flavor here is deeply satisfying, and it reaches past just these cards. The Jenova card is part of the set as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a chosen creature, which additionally gains the type of a Mutant. This in a way suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, in a way, the SOLDIER enhancement he underwent, which included modification with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that cleverly ties the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the set.

This design doesn't show his demise, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy bluff where it concludes. It isn't necessary. *Magic* enables you to reenact the moment personally. You make the ultimate play. You hand over the legacy on. And for a fleeting moment, while enjoying a trading card game, you are reminded of why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga for many fans.