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MTG fans frequently embrace tribe-based decks — who has not assembled a goblin deck at some point? — while the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set is reintroducing 2 well-known mechanics that fit seamlessly with the flavor.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The initial mechanic, called "Allies," first introduced with the Zendikar set and grants boosts whenever more creatures bearing the Ally subtype come onto the field.

On the other hand, "Shrine" is an enchantment-based subtype which originated with Kamigawa. While not creature-based tribal theme, these enchantments likewise become strength when a player has more of them in play.

A Return for Allies Mechanic

Although Shrines have appeared sporadically across recent sets, the Ally mechanic has been far less common — but that changes with ATLA, in which the feature is prominently used.

Aang has to recruit many friends on his quest to restore balance across the four nations, so there's no more fitting method to reflect that in an Magic expansion.

Exclusive Cards Preview

Following the first card announcement, here is a look at one Ally plus a Shrine cards in the new ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Fan-Favorite Character

Teo stands as a beloved minor figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man from Earth Kingdom that resided in an Air Temple following his home was destroyed in a disaster, which rendered him unable to walk.

Because of his dad's skill with mechanics, Teo can fly in the air using his glider, and dares Aang in a flying race.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider represents his passion for the skies along with his tribe's use on gliders through letting you draw and discard each time you attack with a flying creature, while additionally strengthening your team via counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: A Powerful Shrine

Regarding Teo's home, this appears in a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains your opponent's life total when entering the battlefield, based on the number of Shrines you have.

It furthermore drains one more point whenever another Shrine enters the battlefield.

This looks like a powerful addition, given the card's cheap mana cost plus valuable enter the battlefield ability.

A big weakness for Shrine strategies in formats besides EDH is that Shrines are always Legendary, however Northern Air Temple can be great when paired alongside another Shrine, that deals damage to every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

A Welcome Crossover

At a time when Universes Beyond sets are receiving a lot of criticism from fans, a beloved series such as Avatar could be precisely just what MTG needs.

Preview period has begun, with all cards will be launched on Nov. 21.