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Magic: The Gathering fans consistently enjoy tribal decks — who hasn't built an elf deck once or twice? — while this forthcoming ATLA crossover release brings back two beloved mechanics which fit perfectly with the flavor.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

One initial mechanic, named "Allies," was introduced with the Zendikar set which grants bonuses each time more creatures bearing the Ally type enter the battlefield.

Alternatively, "Shrine" represents an enchantment type that first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. Although not a creature tribal theme, Shrines also gain strength as a player owns additional of them on the battlefield.

A Return of Allies Ability

Although Shrine cards have been shown up sporadically across newer sets, Allies subtype has been seldom seen — until that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the mechanic gets prominently used.

The protagonist Aang must recruit a lot of friends during the journey to restore balance to the four nations, so it's no more fitting method to represent this through an Magic expansion.

Revealed Cards Preview

Following the first card reveal, here are a look of one Ally plus one Shrines cards in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Beloved Character

Teo is one beloved supporting character from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man of the Earth Tribe that lived at the Northern Air Temple after his village was ruined by a flood, which rendered him paraplegic.

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

The card Teo showcases his love of flying along with the Earth Tribe's use of gliders by allowing you draw and discard whenever you attack using a flying creature, and additionally pumping your creatures via +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of Teo's home, it is represented as the card Northern Air Temple, that drains your opponent's life total when entering the battlefield, depending on how many of Shrines you control.

The card furthermore drains one more point whenever another Shrine enters the field.

This looks like an impactful card, considering its low cost and good ETB effect.

A major weakness for Shrine strategies outside of Commander is that these cards are typically Legendary, however this card is effective when paired with another Shrine, that drains every opponent during the start of your main phase.

A Welcome Crossover

Currently when Universes Beyond sets have been garnering significant backlash from the community, an iconic series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender can be exactly just what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Preview period is already here, and all cards will be released on Nov. 21.