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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts frequently enjoy tribal decks — who has not built a goblin strategy before? — and the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set brings back 2 beloved mechanics which fit seamlessly with the flavor.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

One first ability, known as "Ally," first debuted with a Zendikar and grants buffs each time additional permanents bearing the Ally type come onto play.

Alternatively, "Shrines" is another enchantment type that first appeared in Kamigawa. Although not a creature tribal theme, Shrines also gain power as you owns additional Shrines in play.

The Return for the Ally Ability

Although Shrine cards have appeared sporadically across newer releases, the Ally mechanic has been seldom seen — but that changes with Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which this feature gets prominently used.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit a lot of allies during the journey to bring back balance to the four nations, so there's no better way to show this through an Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Cards Preview

After its initial card reveal, here are a look at one Ally and one Shrine cards from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Character

Teo is a popular supporting figure from ATLA, a young man of the Earth Tribe who resided at an Air Temple following his home was ruined in a disaster, which left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's prowess with mechanics, Teo is able to glide in the air with a flying device, and dares the Avatar to an aerial contest.

This card Teo showcases Teo's passion for the skies and the Earth Tribe's reliance of gliders by letting you draw and discard whenever you attack using an airborne creature, and additionally strengthening your team with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine

Speaking of Teo's dwelling, it appears as the card The Northern Air Temple, that reduces an opponent's life total when entering play, based on how many Shrine cards you have.

It furthermore drains one more life anytime another Shrine enters the field.

This appears to be a strong addition, considering the card's cheap mana cost and good enter the battlefield ability.

One big weakness for Shrine strategies in formats besides Commander is that these cards are typically legendary permanents, but this card is great in combination with another Shrine, that drains all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

The Welcome Collaboration

Currently when crossover products are garnering significant criticism from the community, an iconic series like Avatar: The Last Airbender can be precisely what MTG requires.

Preview period has begun, and the full set will be released November 21st.