🔗 Share this article Reveal: How Magic's Avatar Set Brings Back Two Fan-Favorite Tribal Gameplay Features MTG fans frequently enjoy tribe-based tactics — who has not built a goblin strategy at some point? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set revives two popular examples which match perfectly with its setting. Returning Tribe-Supporting Mechanics One first ability, called "Allies," first introduced with a Zendikar set and gives bonuses each time additional permanents bearing the Ally type enter the field. Alternatively, "Shrine" is another enchantment subtype which originated with Champions of Kamigawa. While not creature-based tribe, these enchantments also gain strength as you has more Shrines in play. A Return of the Ally Ability While Shrines have been appeared sporadically in newer sets, Allies subtype has been much rarer — until this changes with Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the feature is prominently used. The protagonist Aang has to assemble many allies during his quest to bring back balance to the four nations, so there's no better method to represent this in a Magic set. Exclusive Cards Preview After its initial set announcement, here are previews at one Ally and a Shrine cards in the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender release. Teo: A Beloved Figure This character is one beloved minor figure from ATLA, a young man from the Earth Tribe who resided in an Air Temple following his village was ruined in a flood, an event that rendered him unable to walk. Due to his dad's prowess with engineering, Teo is able to fly through the skies using his glider, even dares the Avatar in an aerial race. This card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases his love of flying along with the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders by allowing the player draw and discard each time you attack with an airborne creature, while additionally pumping your team via counters at the same time. Northern Air Temple: The Powerful Shrine Speaking of his home, this is represented as the card Northern Air Temple, which reduces an opponent's life when entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you have. The card furthermore drains an additional life anytime another Shrine enters the field. This appears to be a strong addition, considering the card's cheap mana cost plus valuable ETB ability. One major drawback for Shrine strategies outside of Commander are that Shrines are always Legendary, however Northern Air Temple is great when paired alongside another Shrine, which deals damage to every opponent at the beginning of your turn. A Welcome Crossover At a time while crossover products are receiving a lot of backlash from the community, a beloved franchise like Avatar: The Last Airbender could be exactly just what Magic: The Gathering requires. Spoiler season is already here, and the full set set to be released on Nov. 21.