🔗 Share this article

Magic: The Gathering fans consistently adopt tribal strategies — who hasn't constructed a zombie deck once or twice? — and this forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release revives two well-known examples which match perfectly with the theme.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

One initial mechanic, named "Ally," was introduced in the Zendikar and gives buffs each time more creatures bearing this type come onto the battlefield.

Alternatively, "Shrines" represents another enchantment type that originated in Kamigawa. While not creature-based tribal theme, these enchantments likewise gain strength as a player controls more Shrines on the battlefield.

The Return of the Ally Ability

While Shrines have been appeared sporadically across recent sets, Allies mechanic was seldom seen — until that ends in ATLA, where this mechanic gets central.

The protagonist Aang must recruit a lot of allies on his journey to restore peace across the world, so there's no better method to represent that through an Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Card Showcase

After its initial set announcement, below are previews of an Allies and one Shrine cards from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo: The Fan-Favorite Character

This character is a beloved supporting figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of the Earth Tribe who resided at the Northern Air Temple after his home was destroyed by a disaster, which rendered him paraplegic.

Because of his dad's prowess with mechanics, Teo can fly in the air using a flying device, and dares the Avatar in a flying race.

The card Teo reproduces Teo's fondness of the skies and the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders by allowing the player draw and discard whenever you attack with a flying creature, and additionally boosting your creatures with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: A Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Regarding his home, it is represented in a card named The Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total upon entering the battlefield, based on the number of Shrines you have.

The card furthermore drains an additional life anytime another Shrine enters the battlefield.

This looks like a strong addition, given the card's low cost and good ETB effect.

One big drawback for Shrine-based decks outside of Commander is that these cards are typically Legendary, however this card can be effective in combination alongside another Shrine, which drains all opponents during the start of your main phase.

A Timely Collaboration

Currently when crossover products are receiving a lot of backlash from fans, a beloved franchise like Avatar can be precisely just what MTG needs.

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