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Magic: The Gathering fans frequently embrace tribal tactics — who has not built an elf deck at some point? — and the new Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release revives two beloved mechanics which fit perfectly with the setting.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

One first mechanic, named "Allies," first introduced in the Zendikar and provides boosts each time more permanents with the Ally subtype come onto play.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is an enchantment subtype that first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly creature-based tribal theme, Shrines also become power as you controls more Shrines on the battlefield.

A Comeback for Allies Ability

Although Shrines have been shown up here and there across recent sets, Allies subtype has been much rarer — but that ends with Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the mechanic is heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang must assemble many allies during the quest to bring back peace to the four nations, so there's no more fitting method to represent this through an Magic expansion.

Exclusive Card Preview

Following its first card announcement, below is a look of an Allies and one Shrines card in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Character

This character is a beloved minor character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man from the Earth Tribe who lived at an Air Temple following his home was destroyed in a disaster, which left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his father's skill with engineering, Teo is able to fly in the air using his glider, even dares Aang in an aerial race.

The card Teo showcases his passion for flying along with the Earth Tribe's reliance on flying machines by letting you draw and discard each time you attack using an airborne unit, and additionally boosting your team via counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: A Strong Shrine

Speaking of his dwelling, this is represented as the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life total upon entering the battlefield, based on how many of Shrines you control.

The card also removes one more life anytime a Shrine enters the battlefield.

This looks like an impactful card, considering its low mana cost and valuable ETB effect.

A major weakness of Shrine strategies in formats besides EDH is that Shrines are typically legendary permanents, however this card is great when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that drains every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

The Welcome Collaboration

At a time while crossover products have been garnering a lot of backlash from the community, an iconic franchise such as Avatar: The Last Airbender could be exactly just what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Preview period is already here, with the full set will be launched on Nov. 21.