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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts consistently enjoy tribe-based tactics — who has not built an elf strategy at some point? — while this new Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release brings back two popular mechanics that fit perfectly with the setting.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

The initial mechanic, named "Allies," was debuted in the Zendikar which provides bonuses each time additional creatures bearing the Ally subtype enter the battlefield.

Alternatively, "Shrines" is an enchantment type which first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. Although not a creature tribe, Shrines likewise gain abilities as a player controls additional of them in play.

The Return of the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have been shown up occasionally across newer releases, the Ally subtype has been much rarer — until that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the feature gets heavily featured.

Aang must recruit a lot of allies on the journey to bring back balance to the world, and there's no better way to reflect that through an Magic set.

Revealed Card Showcase

After the initial card announcement, below are a look of one Ally and a Shrines card from the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: The Beloved Figure

Teo is one cherished minor figure in ATLA, a boy of Earth Kingdom who resided at the Northern Air Temple following his home was destroyed by a disaster, which rendered him unable to walk.

Because of his dad's prowess in engineering, he is able to glide through the skies using his glider, even challenges the Avatar in a flying contest.

The card Teo represents his passion of flying and the Earth Tribe's use on flying machines by letting you draw and discard each time a player attacks using an airborne creature, and also strengthening your team via +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's dwelling, this appears as a card named Northern Air Temple, which reduces an opponent's life total upon coming into play, based on how many Shrine cards you have.

It furthermore drains one more life whenever another Shrine comes onto the field.

This looks like an impactful addition, considering its cheap mana cost plus good ETB ability.

One major weakness of Shrine decks in formats besides Commander are that Shrines are always Legendary, however this card is great when paired alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which deals damage to all opponents at the beginning of your turn.

A Timely Collaboration

At a time while Universes Beyond products are garnering significant hate from the community, an iconic series like Avatar: The Last Airbender could be exactly what Magic: The Gathering needs.

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