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MTG fans consistently enjoy tribal strategies — what player hasn't constructed a zombie strategy once or twice? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release brings back 2 beloved examples that fit perfectly to the theme.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The initial mechanic, called "Allies," was introduced in the Zendikar and provides buffs whenever additional permanents bearing the Ally type come onto the battlefield.

On the other hand, "Shrine" is another enchantment-based subtype that first appeared in Kamigawa. While not creature-based tribal theme, these enchantments also gain strength as a player controls additional Shrines in play.

A Return for the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrine cards have shown up occasionally in newer sets, Allies subtype has been far less common — but this ends in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature is central.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit many friends on his journey to restore balance to the four nations, and there's no more fitting method to show this through a Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Cards Preview

After the initial set announcement, below are a look of an Ally and one Shrines cards from the new ATLA release.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Figure

Teo is one cherished supporting figure from ATLA, a young man from Earth Kingdom who lived in an Air Temple after his village was ruined in a disaster, an event that left him unable to walk.

Due to his father's skill in engineering, Teo is able to soar in the air with a flying device, and challenges Aang in an aerial race.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider represents his love of flying along with the Earth Tribe's use on flying machines through letting you draw and discard whenever a player attacks with an airborne creature, while also pumping your creatures via +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: A Strong Shrine

Speaking of his home, this is represented in a card named Northern Air Temple, which reduces an opponent's life total when entering the battlefield, depending on how many Shrine cards you have.

The card furthermore removes one more point whenever another Shrine enters the battlefield.

This appears to be a powerful card, given its cheap cost and valuable ETB effect.

One big drawback for Shrine decks in formats besides Commander is that Shrines are always legendary permanents, however this card is great in combination with another Shrine, which deals damage to all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

A Timely Collaboration

Currently when crossover products have been garnering a lot of hate from the community, a beloved series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender could be precisely just what MTG requires.

Spoiler season has begun, with all cards will be launched November 21st.