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MTG enthusiasts frequently enjoy tribe-based tactics — who has not built a goblin strategy once or twice? — while this forthcoming ATLA crossover set brings back two well-known examples that align seamlessly with the flavor.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The initial mechanic, called "Allies," was introduced with a Zendikar and provides boosts whenever more creatures bearing the Ally subtype come onto the field.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" is an enchantment type that originated in Champions of Kamigawa. While not a creature tribe, Shrines also gain strength when you controls additional Shrines in play.

The Return of Allies Mechanic

While Shrines have shown up here and there across newer releases, the Ally subtype has been far less common — but this changes with ATLA, where this feature is central.

Aang must gather a lot of friends during the journey to bring back peace to the world, and it's no better method to show this in a Magic set.

Exclusive Cards Preview

After its initial set reveal, here is a look of one Allies and one Shrine cards in the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Beloved Character

This character stands as one beloved minor figure in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of the Earth Tribe that resided in the Northern Air Temple after his village was destroyed in a disaster, which left him paraplegic.

Due to his father's expertise in engineering, Teo is able to soar in the air using a flying device, and dares Aang to a flying contest.

The card Teo showcases his fondness for the skies and his tribe's use of gliders through letting you loot whenever you attack with an airborne creature, while additionally boosting your creatures with counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's dwelling, this is represented in a card named Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total upon coming into the battlefield, depending on how many Shrine cards you have.

The card furthermore removes an additional life whenever a Shrine comes onto the field.

It appears to be an impactful card, considering its cheap mana cost plus valuable enter the battlefield effect.

One big weakness of Shrine-based strategies in formats besides Commander is that these cards are typically Legendary, however this card is great when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which drains all opponents at the beginning of your turn.

A Timely Collaboration

Currently while crossover products have been garnering a lot of criticism from the community, a beloved series such as Avatar could be precisely just what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Spoiler season has begun, and the full set set to be released November 21st.