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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts consistently adopt tribal strategies — who has not assembled a goblin deck before? — while the upcoming ATLA Universes Beyond set is reintroducing two popular examples that align perfectly with the theme.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

One initial mechanic, known as "Ally," first debuted with the Zendikar which grants boosts whenever additional permanents with the Ally type enter the battlefield.

Alternatively, "Shrine" represents another enchantment-based subtype that originated with Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, Shrines also become abilities when you controls more Shrines on the battlefield.

The Comeback of the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have appeared occasionally in newer releases, Allies subtype has been much rarer — until that changes in ATLA, in which this mechanic is central.

The protagonist Aang must recruit a lot of friends on the quest to bring back balance to the four nations, so there's no better way to reflect this in an Magic: The Gathering set.

Revealed Card Preview

Following its initial card announcement, below is previews of one Allies and a Shrine cards in the upcoming ATLA release.

Teo: The Beloved Character

Teo stands as one cherished minor character in ATLA, a young man from the Earth Tribe who lived at an Air Temple following his village was destroyed by a disaster, an event that left him unable to walk.

Because of his father's expertise with engineering, Teo can fly through the skies using his glider, even dares the Avatar to an aerial race.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's love for flying and the Earth Tribe's use of flying machines by allowing you draw and discard each time you attack with an airborne creature, and also pumping your team with +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's dwelling, it appears as the card Northern Air Temple, which reduces your opponent's life upon coming into the battlefield, based on how many Shrine cards you have.

The card furthermore drains one more point anytime a Shrine enters the field.

It appears to be a strong addition, given its low cost plus good ETB effect.

One major weakness of Shrine-based decks in formats besides Commander is the fact that these cards are typically Legendary, however Northern Air Temple is great when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which drains all opponents at the beginning of your turn.

The Timely Collaboration

Currently when Universes Beyond sets are garnering a lot of hate by fans, a beloved franchise such as Avatar could be precisely what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Spoiler season is already here, with all cards will be launched November 21st.