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MTG fans frequently enjoy tribe-based strategies — what player has not assembled a zombie deck before? — and this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set revives two well-known examples that fit perfectly to the setting.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

The initial ability, called "Ally," was introduced with a Zendikar set and grants boosts each time additional permanents with this subtype come onto play.

Alternatively, "Shrine" is an enchantment type which first appeared in Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, these enchantments likewise gain strength when a player owns more Shrines in play.

The Return of the Ally Mechanic

While Shrines have shown up sporadically in recent releases, the Ally subtype was seldom seen — until this ends in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where this feature gets heavily featured.

Aang must assemble a lot of friends during his quest to restore peace to the four nations, so there's no more fitting way to reflect that in a Magic: The Gathering expansion.

Revealed Cards Preview

After the first card announcement, here is previews of one Ally and one Shrine cards from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo: The Beloved Character

Teo is one cherished minor character from ATLA, a boy of the Earth Tribe who lived in the Northern Air Temple following his village was ruined in a flood, which rendered him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's prowess in engineering, he is able to fly through the skies using a flying device, even dares the Avatar to a flying contest.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases his love for the skies and the Earth Tribe's reliance on flying machines through letting you loot whenever you attack using an airborne unit, while also strengthening your team via counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's home, this appears in the card Northern Air Temple, that reduces your opponent's life upon entering play, based on the number of Shrines you have.

It also removes an additional point whenever another Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

This looks like a strong card, given the card's cheap cost and good enter the battlefield ability.

A big drawback for Shrine decks outside of EDH is that Shrines are typically Legendary, however this card can be great when paired with another Shrine, that deals damage to all opponents during the start of your main phase.

A Welcome Crossover

At a time when Universes Beyond sets have been garnering significant hate by the community, an iconic franchise like Avatar: The Last Airbender could be precisely what MTG needs.

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