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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts consistently embrace tribe-based tactics — who has not assembled an elf strategy at some point? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set brings back two well-known mechanics which fit perfectly to the theme.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The first mechanic, known as "Allies," was introduced with a Zendikar which gives boosts whenever additional creatures bearing the Ally type come onto the field.

On the other hand, "Shrines" represents an enchantment-based subtype that first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, Shrines also gain power when a player controls additional of them in play.

The Comeback for Allies Mechanic

Although Shrines have been appeared sporadically across recent releases, the Ally mechanic has been much rarer — but that ends with ATLA, in which this mechanic gets prominently used.

Aang must recruit many companions during his quest to restore balance to the four nations, and it's no more fitting way to show this through an Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Card Showcase

After its first card reveal, below is a look at an Allies plus a Shrine card from the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Figure

This character stands as a cherished supporting character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom who resided at the Northern Air Temple after his home was destroyed in a disaster, an event that left him unable to walk.

Due to his father's skill in engineering, he is able to soar through the skies using a flying device, and challenges Aang in an aerial race.

The card Teo showcases Teo's love for flying and the Earth Tribe's reliance of flying machines by letting you loot each time a player attacks using an airborne unit, while additionally boosting your team with counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: The Powerful Shrine

Regarding Teo's dwelling, it is represented as the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life total when entering play, based on the number Shrine cards you control.

It furthermore removes an additional point whenever a Shrine enters the battlefield.

It looks like an impactful card, given its cheap mana cost and good enter the battlefield ability.

A big weakness of Shrine-based strategies outside of Commander are that Shrines are typically legendary permanents, however this card is great in combination alongside another Shrine, that drains all opponents during the start of your turn.

The Welcome Collaboration

Currently while crossover sets are receiving significant backlash by the community, a beloved series like Avatar can be exactly what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Spoiler season is already here, and the full set set to be launched on Nov. 21.