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MTG enthusiasts consistently enjoy tribal strategies — what player hasn't constructed a zombie deck before? — while the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release revives two popular mechanics that fit perfectly to the setting.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

The initial mechanic, known as "Allies," first introduced with the Zendikar which grants bonuses whenever more permanents bearing the Ally subtype enter the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" is another enchantment subtype that first appeared with Kamigawa. Although not exactly a creature tribe, Shrines likewise gain strength as a player has more Shrines in play.

A Return of Allies Ability

Although Shrines have shown up occasionally in recent sets, Allies subtype has been much rarer — until that ends in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where this feature gets central.

Aang must assemble numerous allies during the quest to restore peace across the four nations, and there's no more fitting way to represent that in a Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Exclusive Card Showcase

After the initial card announcement, here are a look at an Ally and one Shrine cards from the new ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Fan-Favorite Figure

Teo stands as a popular minor figure in ATLA, a boy from Earth Kingdom that lived at the Northern Air Temple following his home was ruined in a disaster, which left him paraplegic.

Because of his dad's prowess with engineering, Teo can soar in the air with a flying device, even dares the Avatar in a flying contest.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases his love of flying along with his tribe's use of flying machines through letting you loot each time you attack with an airborne creature, and also boosting your creatures via +1/+1 counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his dwelling, it is represented in a card named The Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total when coming into the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you control.

It furthermore drains one more life anytime a Shrine enters the battlefield.

This appears to be an impactful addition, given its low mana cost and good enter the battlefield effect.

A big weakness of Shrine-based strategies in formats besides Commander are the fact that these cards are typically Legendary, however Northern Air Temple is effective when paired alongside another Shrine, which deals damage to all opponents during the start of your main phase.

The Timely Collaboration

At a time when crossover sets are garnering significant backlash by the community, a beloved series like Avatar can be precisely what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Preview period has begun, and all cards will be released on Nov. 21.