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Magic: The Gathering players consistently enjoy tribal tactics — who has not built a goblin strategy once or twice? — and this new ATLA crossover release is reintroducing two well-known mechanics which fit perfectly with its setting.

Reappearing Tribal Mechanics

The first ability, named "Ally," first introduced with the Zendikar which provides boosts whenever more creatures bearing this type enter the field.

Meanwhile, "Shrine" is another enchantment subtype which first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. Although not a creature tribal theme, Shrines likewise gain strength as a player owns more Shrines on the battlefield.

A Comeback of the Ally Ability

While Shrines have appeared sporadically across newer releases, Allies mechanic has been far less common — until that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where this mechanic is heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang must gather a lot of friends on the quest to bring back balance across the four nations, so there's no more fitting method to represent this through an Magic set.

Revealed Cards Showcase

After its initial set announcement, below are a look at one Ally plus a Shrines cards in the new ATLA release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Figure

Teo is one beloved supporting character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man of Earth Kingdom who lived in the Northern Air Temple after his home was destroyed by a disaster, an event that left him unable to walk.

Because of his dad's prowess in engineering, Teo is able to glide in the air with a flying device, and dares the Avatar to a flying contest.

This card Teo reproduces Teo's passion of the skies and the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders through allowing you loot whenever a player attacks using a flying unit, while additionally boosting your team with +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: A Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's dwelling, this appears as a card named The Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life total upon entering the battlefield, based on how many Shrine cards you have.

It furthermore drains an additional point whenever a Shrine comes onto the battlefield.

This looks like an impactful addition, given its cheap mana cost and valuable ETB ability.

One big weakness of Shrine strategies outside of EDH is the fact that Shrines are typically Legendary, but this card can be great in combination with another Shrine, that drains all opponents during the start of your turn.

The Welcome Crossover

At a time when crossover sets have been garnering a lot of criticism by the community, a beloved franchise such as Avatar could be exactly just what MTG needs.

Preview period has begun, and the full set will be released November 21st.