🔗 Share this article

Magic: The Gathering fans often embrace tribal decks — who hasn't built a zombie strategy at some point? — while the forthcoming ATLA crossover release is reintroducing 2 well-known mechanics which match perfectly to its theme.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

The first mechanic, known as "Ally," was debuted in a Zendikar set which grants boosts whenever more permanents with the Ally subtype enter play.

On the other hand, "Shrine" is another enchantment type which first appeared with Kamigawa. Although not creature-based tribe, Shrines also gain strength as you controls more of them on the battlefield.

A Return for Allies Mechanic

Although Shrines have appeared sporadically across newer sets, the Ally mechanic was far less common — but that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature is central.

The protagonist Aang has to assemble many allies during the quest to restore balance to the four nations, so it's no better method to reflect this through a Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Cards Preview

Following the first card announcement, here is previews of one Allies and one Shrine card from the new ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Beloved Figure

This character stands as a cherished supporting character in ATLA, a boy from Earth Kingdom who lived in the Northern Air Temple following his home was destroyed by a disaster, which left him paraplegic.

Because of his dad's expertise with engineering, Teo is able to fly through the skies using his glider, even dares the Avatar in an aerial contest.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider represents Teo's passion for the skies along with his tribe's reliance on gliders through letting you loot each time you attack using a flying creature, and also boosting your team via counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his dwelling, this appears as a card named Northern Air Temple, which drains your opponent's life total upon coming into play, based on how many of Shrines you have.

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

This looks like an impactful addition, considering its cheap mana cost plus valuable ETB ability.

One big drawback of Shrine strategies outside of EDH are the fact that Shrines are typically legendary permanents, but Northern Air Temple is effective in combination with another Shrine, which drains every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

A Timely Crossover

At a time when Universes Beyond products are garnering a lot of backlash by fans, a beloved franchise such as Avatar: The Last Airbender can be exactly what MTG requires.

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