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Magic: The Gathering players often embrace tribe-based tactics — what player hasn't constructed a goblin strategy before? — while this new ATLA Universes Beyond release brings back two well-known examples that match seamlessly with the flavor.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

One initial mechanic, known as "Allies," first debuted with the Zendikar which provides bonuses whenever more permanents bearing the Ally type come onto the field.

On the other hand, "Shrine" represents another enchantment subtype which originated in Champions of Kamigawa. Although not creature-based tribal theme, these enchantments also gain power as a player owns additional Shrines on the battlefield.

The Return for the Ally Mechanic

While Shrine cards have been shown up sporadically in recent releases, Allies mechanic was much rarer — until that changes with Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the feature gets prominently used.

The protagonist Aang must recruit a lot of friends during the quest to restore balance to the four nations, and it's no more fitting way to show that in a Magic set.

Exclusive Card Preview

Following its initial set announcement, below is previews of one Allies plus a Shrine cards from the new ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Beloved Figure

This character is a cherished minor figure in ATLA, a boy from Earth Kingdom that resided at an Air Temple following his home was ruined in a flood, which rendered him paraplegic.

Due to his father's skill in engineering, Teo can fly in the air with a flying device, and challenges Aang to an aerial race.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider represents Teo's passion for flying along with his tribe's use of gliders by letting the player draw and discard each time a player attacks with an airborne unit, while additionally boosting your team with +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: A Strong Shrine

Speaking of Teo's dwelling, this appears in a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life total when entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you have.

The card furthermore removes an additional point anytime another Shrine comes onto the field.

This appears to be an impactful addition, given the card's low cost plus valuable ETB effect.

A major drawback of Shrine decks outside of EDH is the fact that Shrines are always legendary permanents, but this card is great in combination alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which deals damage to every opponent at the beginning of your main phase.

The Welcome Collaboration

At a time while Universes Beyond sets are garnering significant backlash from the community, a beloved series like Avatar: The Last Airbender can be precisely what MTG requires.

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