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MTG players frequently enjoy tribal strategies — what player has not constructed a goblin deck at some point? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set is reintroducing 2 beloved examples that align seamlessly with its theme.

Returning Tribal Abilities

One first mechanic, named "Allies," was introduced with the Zendikar and provides bonuses whenever additional creatures bearing this type enter play.

On the other hand, "Shrines" represents an enchantment subtype that first appeared in Champions of Kamigawa. Although not exactly a creature tribe, Shrines also become abilities as you owns more of them in play.

The Comeback of Allies Mechanic

While Shrines have been appeared occasionally in recent releases, the Ally subtype was far less common — but this ends with ATLA, where the feature gets central.

The protagonist Aang has to gather many companions on the journey to restore balance across the world, and it's no better way to show this in a Magic: The Gathering set.

Revealed Card Showcase

Following its initial card reveal, below is previews at one Allies plus one Shrines cards from the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Character

Teo is a cherished supporting figure in ATLA, a boy from Earth Kingdom that lived in the Northern Air Temple after his village was ruined by a flood, which rendered him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's skill with mechanics, he is able to fly in the air with a flying device, even dares Aang to an aerial contest.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider reproduces Teo's passion for flying along with the Earth Tribe's reliance of flying machines through letting you draw and discard whenever a player attacks with an airborne unit, while additionally strengthening your team via counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's home, it appears as a card named The Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total upon entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you have.

The card furthermore removes one more life anytime a Shrine enters the field.

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

A big weakness for Shrine strategies in formats besides Commander is the fact that Shrines are typically legendary permanents, however this card can be effective in combination alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that deals damage to every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

The Welcome Crossover

At a time while crossover sets have been garnering significant hate by fans, a beloved franchise like Avatar can be precisely what MTG requires.

Preview period has begun, with all cards set to be launched November 21st.