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MTG fans consistently adopt tribal tactics — who has not constructed an elf strategy at some point? — while the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set revives 2 well-known mechanics that align seamlessly to the setting.

Reappearing Tribal Abilities

One first ability, called "Allies," first debuted with a Zendikar set which gives buffs whenever more creatures with the Ally subtype come onto the battlefield.

On the other hand, "Shrines" represents an enchantment type that originated in Champions of Kamigawa. While not a creature tribal theme, Shrines likewise gain strength as a player has more of them in play.

A Comeback for the Ally Ability

While Shrine cards have been shown up sporadically in recent sets, the Ally mechanic was seldom seen — but that changes with ATLA, where the mechanic gets heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang has to gather many friends during his quest to bring back peace across the world, and it's no better method to reflect this through an Magic expansion.

Exclusive Card Showcase

Following the first set reveal, here is a look at an Ally plus a Shrines cards from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Character

This character stands as a popular supporting character from ATLA, a young man from the Earth Tribe that resided at an Air Temple following his village was destroyed in a flood, an event that rendered him unable to walk.

Due to his dad's skill with mechanics, he is able to glide through the skies with his glider, even challenges Aang to an aerial race.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's love for flying along with his tribe's reliance on gliders by letting the player loot whenever you attack using an airborne unit, and additionally strengthening your creatures with +1/+1 counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's home, it appears as the card The Northern Air Temple, that reduces your opponent's life when entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you have.

The card also removes one more life whenever a Shrine enters the battlefield.

It appears to be an impactful addition, given the card's cheap cost plus valuable enter the battlefield ability.

One big weakness for Shrine strategies outside of EDH are that these cards are typically legendary permanents, but Northern Air Temple is great when paired with another Shrine, which deals damage to all opponents during the start of your main phase.

A Welcome Collaboration

At a time when crossover sets are receiving significant criticism by the community, a beloved series such as Avatar can be exactly just what MTG requires.

Spoiler season has begun, with the full set will be released November 21st.