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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts frequently embrace tribal decks — what player has not assembled a zombie deck before? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set is reintroducing 2 beloved mechanics that align seamlessly with the setting.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

The initial mechanic, called "Ally," first debuted in the Zendikar which gives bonuses each time more permanents with the Ally subtype come onto play.

Alternatively, "Shrines" represents an enchantment type which originated with Champions of Kamigawa. While not a creature tribal theme, these enchantments likewise gain strength as a player owns additional Shrines in play.

A Comeback of the Ally Ability

While Shrines have been shown up occasionally across newer releases, Allies subtype was seldom seen — but that changes in ATLA, in which the feature gets heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang must gather a lot of friends during the journey to restore peace across the four nations, so it's no more fitting way to reflect that through an Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Revealed Card Showcase

Following its initial card announcement, here are previews of one Allies and one Shrine cards from the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: The Fan-Favorite Figure

Teo stands as a popular supporting character from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom that lived at the Northern Air Temple after his village was destroyed by a flood, which left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's expertise with engineering, he can soar in the air with a flying device, even dares the Avatar in an aerial contest.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's love for the skies and his tribe's use on gliders by letting you draw and discard each time you attack with a flying unit, and also strengthening your team with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine

Regarding Teo's dwelling, this appears in the card The Northern Air Temple, which drains your opponent's life when coming into the battlefield, based on how many Shrine cards you have.

It also removes an additional life whenever another Shrine enters the field.

This looks like a strong addition, given the card's cheap cost plus good enter the battlefield ability.

One major weakness for Shrine-based decks in formats besides Commander is that Shrines are always legendary permanents, but Northern Air Temple is great when paired with another Shrine, that deals damage to every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

A Timely Crossover

Currently when Universes Beyond sets are garnering significant backlash by fans, a beloved franchise like Avatar could be precisely just what MTG requires.

Preview period is already here, and the full set will be launched November 21st.