🔗 Share this article Exclusive: The Way Magic's Avatar Set Revives 2 Fan-Favorite Tribal Mechanics MTG enthusiasts consistently enjoy tribal tactics — who hasn't assembled a zombie deck once or twice? — and the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release revives two popular mechanics that align perfectly with the setting. Returning Tribal Abilities One initial mechanic, named "Ally," first debuted with the Zendikar set and grants bonuses whenever more permanents with this type come onto the battlefield. Alternatively, "Shrine" is another enchantment subtype that originated in Kamigawa. While not exactly creature-based tribe, these enchantments likewise gain abilities as a player controls additional Shrines on the battlefield. A Comeback of the Ally Mechanic While Shrine cards have been shown up sporadically across recent releases, Allies mechanic has been far less common — until that ends in ATLA, where this feature gets heavily featured. The protagonist Aang has to gather many companions during the quest to bring back balance to the world, and there's no better way to reflect this through a Magic expansion. Exclusive Cards Showcase After the first set reveal, here is previews of one Allies and a Shrines card from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender release. Teo: The Beloved Character Teo stands as one beloved supporting figure in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man from Earth Kingdom who resided in an Air Temple following his village was ruined by a flood, an event that left him paraplegic. Thanks to his father's prowess in mechanics, Teo is able to glide through the skies with a flying device, and dares the Avatar in an aerial race. The card Teo represents Teo's fondness of the skies and his tribe's use on gliders by letting the player loot whenever you attack using an airborne unit, and also pumping your creatures with counters at the same time. Northern Air Temple: A Strong Shrine Enchantment Speaking of Teo's dwelling, it is represented as the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life upon coming into play, depending on the number Shrine cards you have. It furthermore removes one more life whenever a Shrine comes onto the field. It looks like a strong addition, given its low cost and valuable enter the battlefield ability. One major drawback of Shrine-based decks outside of Commander is the fact that Shrines are always Legendary, but Northern Air Temple can be great when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that drains all opponents at the beginning of your turn. A Timely Crossover Currently while Universes Beyond sets have been garnering a lot of backlash by the community, an iconic franchise like Avatar: The Last Airbender can be exactly just what MTG needs. Spoiler season is already here, and all cards set to be released November 21st.