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MTG enthusiasts frequently adopt tribal strategies — who hasn't constructed a goblin strategy at some point? — while this new Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release revives 2 well-known mechanics that align seamlessly with its setting.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

One first mechanic, named "Ally," first debuted with a Zendikar set and grants buffs whenever additional permanents bearing the Ally type come onto play.

Alternatively, "Shrines" represents another enchantment type that first appeared with Kamigawa. While not a creature tribal theme, Shrines likewise gain strength when a player controls additional of them on the battlefield.

A Return of Allies Mechanic

While Shrines have been shown up here and there across recent releases, Allies subtype was seldom seen — until that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the mechanic gets heavily featured.

Aang has to assemble numerous friends during his journey to bring back balance across the four nations, so there's no more fitting way to show this through a Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Exclusive Cards Preview

Following the initial set reveal, here are previews at one Ally and a Shrines cards in the upcoming ATLA release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Beloved Character

This character is one popular supporting figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy from Earth Kingdom that resided at an Air Temple following his village was destroyed in a flood, an event that left him paraplegic.

Thanks to his father's prowess with mechanics, Teo is able to glide in the air with a flying device, even dares Aang to a flying contest.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's fondness for the skies and the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders by allowing you loot whenever a player attacks using a flying creature, while also strengthening your creatures with +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of Teo's home, this is represented in the card The Northern Air Temple, which reduces your opponent's life total upon entering play, based on how many of Shrines you control.

The card furthermore drains an additional point whenever a Shrine comes onto the field.

It looks like a strong card, given the card's low mana cost and valuable ETB effect.

One major weakness for Shrine decks outside of EDH are that these cards are typically legendary permanents, however this card is effective in combination with another Shrine, that drains every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

A Timely Collaboration

At a time while Universes Beyond products are garnering a lot of backlash by the community, a beloved series like Avatar: The Last Airbender can be precisely what MTG needs.

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