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MTG players often adopt tribal tactics — what player hasn't built a zombie strategy before? — while the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set is reintroducing 2 popular examples which fit perfectly with its theme.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

The first mechanic, called "Allies," first debuted with a Zendikar set which provides buffs each time more creatures bearing the Ally subtype come onto the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrine" represents another enchantment type which first appeared in Kamigawa. While not creature-based tribal theme, Shrines also gain strength when a player has more Shrines in play.

The Comeback of Allies Mechanic

While Shrine cards have been appeared occasionally across newer releases, Allies mechanic has been far less common — until that changes in ATLA, in which the mechanic gets central.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit numerous allies on his quest to restore balance across the four nations, and there's no better method to represent that in a Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Exclusive Card Showcase

After its first set announcement, below is a look at one Allies and one Shrines card from the upcoming ATLA release.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Character

Teo stands as a popular minor character from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man of the Earth Tribe that resided at an Air Temple following his home was destroyed in a flood, an event that rendered him paraplegic.

Thanks to his dad's expertise in engineering, Teo can glide in the air with a flying device, and dares the Avatar in a flying contest.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider reproduces his love for flying along with the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders through allowing the player loot each time you attack using a flying creature, while additionally boosting your creatures with counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his home, this is represented as the card The Northern Air Temple, which reduces an opponent's life upon coming into the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you have.

It also removes one more life anytime a Shrine comes onto the field.

This appears to be a powerful addition, considering its low mana cost and good ETB ability.

One big weakness for Shrine-based strategies outside of EDH is that Shrines are typically Legendary, but this card is great when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which drains every opponent during the start of your turn.

The Timely Collaboration

Currently while crossover sets are garnering significant hate by the community, a beloved franchise such as Avatar can be exactly just what Magic: The Gathering needs.

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