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MTG enthusiasts consistently embrace tribal decks — what player has not constructed an elf deck before? — while this new ATLA crossover set is reintroducing two well-known examples which align seamlessly to its flavor.

Reappearing Tribal Abilities

The initial ability, called "Ally," was introduced in a Zendikar and gives buffs each time more permanents with this type enter the battlefield.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is another enchantment subtype that first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, Shrines likewise gain power when a player has more of them on the battlefield.

A Return for Allies Mechanic

While Shrines have appeared occasionally in newer sets, the Ally subtype was seldom seen — until this ends in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature is central.

Aang must assemble numerous companions on the journey to restore peace across the four nations, and there's no more fitting way to represent this through a Magic: The Gathering set.

Revealed Card Showcase

After its initial set reveal, here is previews at an Allies plus a Shrine card from the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Character

Teo is one cherished minor character from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom who lived at the Northern Air Temple following his home was destroyed in a flood, which left him paraplegic.

Because of his dad's expertise with engineering, he can soar in the air with a flying device, and dares Aang in a flying contest.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's love of flying along with his tribe's reliance on flying machines through allowing you loot whenever you attack using a flying unit, and also boosting your team with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of Teo's dwelling, this is represented as the card Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life when coming into play, based on the number Shrine cards you have.

It furthermore drains an additional point anytime another Shrine comes onto the field.

This looks like an impactful addition, given its low mana cost and valuable enter the battlefield ability.

One major weakness of Shrine-based decks outside of Commander are the fact that these cards are always Legendary, but Northern Air Temple can be effective in combination alongside another Shrine, that deals damage to all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

A Welcome Crossover

At a time when Universes Beyond products are garnering a lot of backlash by fans, a beloved series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender can be exactly what MTG needs.

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