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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts frequently embrace tribal strategies — who hasn't assembled a goblin deck at some point? — while this forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set revives two beloved examples that align perfectly with its setting.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

The initial ability, known as "Ally," first debuted in a Zendikar and grants boosts each time additional creatures bearing this type come onto the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrine" represents an enchantment-based type which originated with Kamigawa. While not a creature tribal theme, these enchantments likewise become abilities as you controls additional of them on the battlefield.

The Comeback of the Ally Ability

While Shrines have been appeared sporadically in newer sets, the Ally mechanic was much rarer — but that ends in ATLA, in which the feature is central.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit many allies during his journey to bring back balance to the four nations, and there's no more fitting method to reflect that through a Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Card Preview

After the initial card announcement, below are previews of one Ally plus a Shrines card from the upcoming ATLA release.

Teo: The Beloved Figure

This character is a beloved supporting character in ATLA, a young man from Earth Kingdom that resided in an Air Temple following his home was destroyed by a flood, an event that left him paraplegic.

Because of his dad's expertise in engineering, Teo is able to fly in the air using his glider, even dares the Avatar to a flying race.

This card Teo reproduces Teo's passion for flying and his tribe's use on gliders through letting the player loot whenever a player attacks using an airborne creature, while also strengthening your creatures via +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's dwelling, this appears in the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains your opponent's life total upon entering play, based on the number of Shrines you have.

It furthermore removes one more point whenever a Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

It looks like a strong addition, given the card's low cost plus good ETB effect.

One big drawback for Shrine strategies in formats besides EDH is that Shrines are typically Legendary, but Northern Air Temple can be great when paired alongside another Shrine, which drains every opponent at the beginning of your main phase.

The Timely Crossover

At a time while crossover products have been receiving a lot of criticism from the community, an iconic series such as Avatar could be exactly just what MTG needs.

Preview period is already here, with the full set will be released November 21st.