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MTG players frequently embrace tribe-based decks — what player has not built a zombie strategy before? — while the new Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set brings back 2 beloved examples that fit perfectly with its flavor.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

The first mechanic, known as "Ally," first introduced with a Zendikar which grants boosts whenever more permanents with this subtype come onto the battlefield.

Alternatively, "Shrines" is another enchantment-based subtype that originated with Champions of Kamigawa. While not a creature tribe, Shrines also gain power as a player has more of them in play.

A Comeback of the Ally Ability

While Shrines have shown up here and there across recent sets, the Ally mechanic has been much rarer — but this changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature gets central.

Aang must gather many companions on his quest to bring back balance to the four nations, so it's no more fitting way to represent this in an Magic set.

Revealed Cards Preview

Following the initial set reveal, below are previews at an Ally and a Shrines cards from the new ATLA release.

Teo: A Beloved Character

This character is a beloved minor character in ATLA, a young man of Earth Kingdom that lived at the Northern Air Temple following his home was destroyed by a disaster, an event that left him paraplegic.

Thanks to his father's skill with mechanics, Teo is able to fly in the air with his glider, and challenges Aang to a flying contest.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's passion for flying and his tribe's use on gliders through letting you draw and discard whenever a player attacks using a flying unit, and additionally strengthening your team via +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his dwelling, it is represented as a card named Northern Air Temple, which drains your opponent's life total upon entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you control.

The card furthermore removes one more life anytime another Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

This looks like an impactful card, considering its low cost and valuable ETB effect.

One big weakness of Shrine strategies in formats besides Commander are that Shrines are always Legendary, however Northern Air Temple is effective in combination alongside another Shrine, which deals damage to all opponents during the start of your turn.

A Welcome Crossover

Currently while crossover products are garnering significant criticism from fans, a beloved series like Avatar could be precisely just what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Preview period is already here, with all cards will be released November 21st.