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Magic: The Gathering fans frequently adopt tribal tactics — who has not constructed a goblin deck before? — while this forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release revives two beloved mechanics that fit seamlessly to the theme.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The first ability, named "Allies," was debuted with the Zendikar and gives bonuses each time additional creatures with the Ally type enter the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" is an enchantment subtype which first appeared with Kamigawa. While not a creature tribe, Shrines also gain power as a player has additional Shrines on the battlefield.

The Comeback of the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have shown up occasionally across newer sets, Allies mechanic has been much rarer — until this ends in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature gets prominently used.

The protagonist Aang must gather numerous friends during the journey to bring back balance across the four nations, so it's no better way to show that in a Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Revealed Cards Showcase

After the initial card reveal, here is a look at an Allies and a Shrine card from the upcoming ATLA release.

Teo: The Beloved Figure

Teo stands as a popular minor character from ATLA, a young man from Earth Kingdom that lived in the Northern Air Temple after his village was destroyed by a flood, an event that left him unable to walk.

Due to his dad's prowess in engineering, Teo is able to glide in the air with a flying device, and dares Aang in a flying race.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider represents Teo's fondness of flying and his tribe's reliance on gliders by letting the player loot each time you attack with an airborne creature, and also strengthening your team with counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Regarding his home, this is represented as the card Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total when entering the battlefield, depending on the number Shrine cards you have.

It furthermore drains one more life anytime another Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

It looks like a strong card, given its cheap mana cost and good ETB effect.

One big drawback for Shrine-based strategies in formats besides Commander are that Shrines are always legendary permanents, but this card can be effective when paired with another Shrine, that deals damage to all opponents during the start of your turn.

The Welcome Crossover

Currently while Universes Beyond sets have been garnering significant backlash from fans, an iconic franchise like Avatar can be precisely what MTG requires.

Preview period has begun, with the full set set to be launched November 21st.