Exclusive: The Way Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender Expansion Brings Back Two Popular Tribal Mechanics

Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts frequently enjoy tribal tactics — who hasn't constructed an elf deck at some point? — and this new Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release revives two well-known mechanics which match perfectly with its flavor.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

The initial ability, called "Allies," first introduced with the Zendikar set and gives buffs whenever additional permanents bearing the Ally type come onto the field.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is an enchantment-based type which first appeared with Kamigawa. While not a creature tribal theme, these enchantments likewise become abilities when you controls more Shrines in play.

The Return for the Ally Ability

While Shrines have shown up occasionally in newer releases, Allies subtype has been much rarer — but this changes with ATLA, where the feature gets heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang must recruit many friends on the quest to bring back peace to the four nations, so there's no better method to show that through an Magic expansion.

Revealed Card Showcase

Following its initial card announcement, here is previews at an Ally plus a Shrine cards in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Character

Teo is one beloved supporting figure from ATLA, a young man of Earth Kingdom who lived in the Northern Air Temple following his home was ruined in a flood, which left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his father's prowess with mechanics, he can fly in the air using a flying device, even challenges the Avatar in an aerial race.

The card Teo showcases Teo's passion for flying and the Earth Tribe's use on flying machines by letting the player draw and discard whenever a player attacks with an airborne unit, while additionally strengthening your team with counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: The Strong Shrine

Regarding his dwelling, it appears as the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains your opponent's life upon coming into play, depending on the number Shrine cards you have.

It also removes an additional life anytime a Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

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

A big drawback for Shrine strategies outside of Commander is that these cards are typically legendary permanents, however this card can be effective in combination with another Shrine, that drains every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

The Timely Collaboration

At a time while crossover sets are garnering a lot of criticism from the community, a beloved franchise like Avatar: The Last Airbender can be precisely what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Spoiler season is already here, and all cards will be released on Nov. 21.