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Magic: The Gathering players consistently adopt tribe-based tactics — what player has not assembled a zombie deck before? — and this forthcoming ATLA Universes Beyond release revives two popular examples which align perfectly with the setting.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The first mechanic, known as "Allies," was debuted with a Zendikar which provides buffs whenever more creatures bearing the Ally type come onto play.

Meanwhile, "Shrine" represents another enchantment-based type that originated with Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, these enchantments also gain strength when a player controls additional Shrines on the battlefield.

A Return of the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have appeared occasionally across newer sets, the Ally mechanic was much rarer — until that ends with Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the mechanic gets heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang has to assemble many companions on his quest to bring back balance to the four nations, and there's no more fitting method to show that through a Magic set.

Exclusive Card Showcase

After the initial card announcement, here is previews at one Ally plus a Shrines card from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo: The Fan-Favorite Character

This character stands as a beloved supporting figure from ATLA, a young man of the Earth Tribe who lived at an Air Temple after his home was destroyed by a flood, an event that rendered him unable to walk.

Thanks to his father's skill with engineering, he can fly through the skies using a flying device, and dares the Avatar in a flying contest.

The card Teo showcases Teo's passion for the skies along with his tribe's use of flying machines through letting you loot whenever you attack with an airborne creature, and additionally boosting your team via +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine

Regarding his home, it is represented as a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life total when coming into play, based on the number Shrine cards you have.

The card furthermore removes an additional point whenever a Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

It appears to be a powerful card, given the card's low mana cost plus good enter the battlefield ability.

A major drawback of Shrine-based strategies in formats besides Commander is the fact that Shrines are always legendary permanents, but Northern Air Temple can be effective in combination with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which drains every opponent at the beginning of your main phase.

The Welcome Crossover

Currently when crossover products are receiving a lot of backlash from the community, an iconic series such as Avatar could be exactly just what MTG requires.

Preview period has begun, and all cards will be launched November 21st.