The Zack Fair Card Illustrates That Magic: The Gathering's Universes Beyond Are Capable of Telling Powerful Stories.
A major part of the charm found in the Final Fantasy crossover collection for *Magic: The Gathering* comes from the manner countless cards narrate familiar stories. Cards like Tidus, Blitzball Star, which provides a snapshot of the protagonist at the very start of *Final Fantasy 10*: a renowned sports star whose secret weapon is a unique shot that pushes a defender aside. The gameplay rules represent this perfectly. These kinds of narrative is widespread in the complete Final Fantasy set, and they aren't all joyful stories. Some serve as poignant reminders of sad moments fans continue to reflect on years after.
"Powerful stories are a key part of the Final Fantasy series," explained a principal game designer on the project. "We built some broad guidelines, but in the end, it was primarily on a card-by-card level."
Though the Zack Fair card isn't a competitive powerhouse, it is one of the collection's most elegant examples of narrative design through mechanics. It artfully reflects one of *Final Fantasy 7*'s most important story moments with great effect, all while capitalizing on some of the set's central systems. And although it doesn't spoil anything, those familiar with the tale will quickly recognize the emotional weight embedded in it.
How It Works: A Narrative in Play
For one white mana (the hue of good) in this collection, Zack Fair enters with a base power and toughness of 0/1 but enters with a +1/+1 token. By paying one colorless mana, you can destroy the card to bestow another unit you control protection from destruction and transfer all of Zack’s bonuses, as well as an Equipment, onto that other creature.
These mechanics depicts a moment FF fans are very familiar with, a moment that has been reimagined throughout the years — in the classic *FF7*, *Crisis Core*, and even alternate-timeline versions in *FF7 Remake*. And yet it hits with equal force here, expressed entirely through gameplay mechanics. Zack sacrifices himself to save Cloud, who then takes up the Buster Sword as his own.
The Context of the Scene
A bit of backstory, 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. Following years of testing, the duo manage to escape. Throughout this period, Cloud is barely conscious, but Zack vows to take care of his companion. They finally arrive at the edge outside Midgar before Zack is killed by troops. Presumed dead, Cloud then takes up Zack’s Buster Sword and takes on the identity of a first-class SOLDIER, which leads right into the start of *FF7*.
Playing Out the Passing of the Torch on the Battlefield
On the tabletop, the card mechanics in essence let you reenact this whole sequence. The Buster Sword is featured as a strong piece of equipment in the set that costs three mana and provides the wielding creature +3/+2. So, for a total of six mana, you can make Zack into a solid 4/6 with the Buster Sword wielded.
The Cloud, Midgar Mercenary also has deliberate interaction with the Buster Sword, allowing you to look through your library for an weapon card. When used in tandem, these pieces unfold in this way: You play Zack, and he gets the +1/+1 counter. Then you play Cloud to fetch the Buster Sword from your deck. Then you cast and attach it to Zack.
Owing to the way Zack’s key mechanic is designed, you can actually use it during combat, meaning you can “intercept” an attack and trigger it to negate the damage completely. Therefore, you can do this at any time, moving the +1/+1 counter *and* the Buster Sword to Cloud. He is transformed into a strong 6/4 that, whenever he does damage a player, lets you gain card advantage and cast two cards for free. This is exactly the kind of experience meant when talking about “narrative impact” — not spoiling the scene, but letting the mechanics evoke the memory.
Beyond the Main Combo
And the narrative here is incredibly rich, and it extends beyond just Zack and Cloud. The Jenova card appears in the collection as a creature that, at the start of combat, puts a number of +1/+1 counters on a target creature, which then becomes a Mutant. This sort of suggests that Zack’s starting +1/+1 token is, symbolically, the SOLDIER conditioning he received, which included experimentation with Jenova cells. It's a subtle connection, but one that subtly connects the whole SOLDIER program to the +1/+1 counter ecosystem in the expansion.
The card doesn't show his end, or Cloud’s confusion, or the stormy location where it concludes. It doesn't have to. *Magic* enables you to relive the passing personally. You perform the ultimate play. You pass the legacy on. And for a brief second, while engaged in a card battle, you remember why *Final Fantasy 7* is still the most influential game in the saga for many fans.
