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Magic: The Gathering players often adopt tribe-based strategies — what player hasn't assembled an elf deck before? — while this new ATLA Universes Beyond set is reintroducing two beloved mechanics which match perfectly with its flavor.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The initial ability, known as "Allies," was introduced with the Zendikar which gives boosts whenever more creatures bearing this subtype enter the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" is an enchantment type that originated in Champions of Kamigawa. While not creature-based tribal theme, these enchantments likewise gain strength as you controls more of them on the battlefield.

The Comeback of Allies Mechanic

While Shrine cards have shown up here and there in newer releases, Allies mechanic has been seldom seen — but that ends with ATLA, where the mechanic gets prominently used.

The protagonist Aang must recruit numerous friends during his quest to bring back balance across the world, and it's no better way to reflect that through a Magic expansion.

Revealed Card Showcase

Following its initial set reveal, below are previews at one Allies plus a Shrine card in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Fan-Favorite Character

This character stands as one cherished supporting figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom that lived in an Air Temple following his home was ruined by a flood, which left him paraplegic.

Thanks to his father's prowess in mechanics, Teo can glide in the air with his glider, even dares the Avatar to a flying contest.

This card Teo reproduces his passion for flying along with the Earth Tribe's use on flying machines by letting you draw and discard whenever you attack with a flying unit, while also pumping your creatures with +1/+1 counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: A Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his home, it is represented in the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life total when entering play, based on how many of Shrines you control.

The card furthermore drains one more point whenever a Shrine comes onto the field.

This appears to be an impactful card, given the card's low cost plus good ETB ability.

A big drawback for Shrine-based decks in formats besides Commander are that these cards are typically Legendary, however Northern Air Temple is great when paired with another Shrine, that deals damage to all opponents at the beginning of your turn.

The Welcome Collaboration

At a time when Universes Beyond sets have been receiving a lot of backlash by fans, an iconic series like Avatar: The Last Airbender could be precisely what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Preview period has begun, with the full set will be released on Nov. 21.