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MTG fans consistently enjoy tribe-based decks — what player has not built an elf deck once or twice? — and this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release revives two popular mechanics which align seamlessly with its flavor.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The first mechanic, called "Allies," was debuted in a Zendikar which grants bonuses each time more permanents bearing the Ally type enter play.

Alternatively, "Shrines" is an enchantment-based subtype which first appeared with Kamigawa. Although not exactly a creature tribal theme, these enchantments likewise gain power as a player has more Shrines in play.

A Return for the Ally Mechanic

While Shrine cards have been shown up occasionally across newer releases, Allies mechanic has been seldom seen — but this changes with ATLA, in which this mechanic is heavily featured.

Aang has to recruit a lot of friends on the journey to bring back balance to the world, so there's no more fitting method to show that through a Magic set.

Revealed Cards Showcase

Following its first card announcement, below are previews at an Ally plus one Shrines cards in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Beloved Figure

Teo is one popular minor character from ATLA, a young man from Earth Kingdom that lived in the Northern Air Temple after his village was destroyed in a disaster, which rendered him paraplegic.

Thanks to his father's prowess in mechanics, he is able to fly through the skies using his glider, and challenges Aang in a flying race.

The card Teo reproduces Teo's passion of flying and the Earth Tribe's use on flying machines through allowing you loot whenever a player attacks with an airborne unit, while also strengthening your team via +1/+1 counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his dwelling, it appears as a card named The Northern Air Temple, that reduces your opponent's life total when coming into the battlefield, depending on how many Shrine cards you have.

It also removes one more life anytime a Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

This looks like a strong card, considering the card's low mana cost plus good ETB effect.

One major drawback of Shrine strategies outside of Commander is that Shrines are always Legendary, however this card can be great when paired alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which deals damage to every opponent during the start of your main phase.

The Welcome Crossover

Currently while crossover products are receiving a lot of criticism by fans, a beloved franchise such as Avatar: The Last Airbender could be precisely what MTG needs.

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