🔗 Share this article

Magic: The Gathering fans often embrace tribal decks — who has not assembled a zombie strategy before? — while the upcoming ATLA crossover set brings back two well-known examples which align perfectly to its flavor.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

The first mechanic, called "Ally," first introduced in a Zendikar which gives buffs each time more creatures bearing this subtype enter the battlefield.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is an enchantment-based subtype which originated in Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribe, Shrines likewise become strength when a player controls additional of them on the battlefield.

The Comeback of Allies Mechanic

While Shrines have shown up here and there across recent sets, the Ally subtype was much rarer — until this ends in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature is heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit many allies during his journey to bring back peace to the four nations, and it's no better way to reflect this through a Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Exclusive Cards Showcase

Following the first set reveal, below are a look at an Allies plus a Shrine cards in the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Fan-Favorite Figure

Teo is a beloved minor figure in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom who lived at the Northern Air Temple following his village was destroyed by a flood, an event that left him unable to walk.

Because of his father's expertise with mechanics, he is able to glide in the air using his glider, and dares Aang to an aerial race.

This card Teo represents Teo's passion for flying and the Earth Tribe's reliance of flying machines through allowing you draw and discard whenever you attack with an airborne creature, while additionally pumping your team with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine

Regarding his dwelling, this is represented as the card The Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total upon coming into the battlefield, depending on how many of Shrines you have.

The card furthermore drains an additional life whenever another Shrine comes onto the field.

This looks like a strong card, given the card's cheap cost plus valuable ETB effect.

One big weakness for Shrine-based strategies in formats besides EDH are the fact that Shrines are always legendary permanents, but this card can be great in combination with another Shrine, which deals damage to all opponents during the start of your main phase.

The Welcome Crossover

At a time while crossover sets have been garnering significant criticism by the community, a beloved series like Avatar could be exactly what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Spoiler season has begun, and the full set will be released on Nov. 21.