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MTG fans often adopt tribal tactics — what player has not assembled a goblin strategy before? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release is reintroducing 2 popular mechanics which match seamlessly with the theme.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Abilities

The first mechanic, called "Allies," was debuted in a Zendikar set and grants bonuses whenever additional creatures bearing this type come onto play.

Alternatively, "Shrines" represents an enchantment-based type that originated in Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribe, these enchantments likewise become abilities as a player has additional Shrines in play.

The Return for the Ally Mechanic

While Shrines have shown up sporadically in newer releases, the Ally mechanic was far less common — until that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which this mechanic is prominently used.

The protagonist Aang has to gather many friends during the quest to bring back balance to the world, and there's no better method to reflect that in an Magic set.

Exclusive Cards Showcase

After the first set reveal, below is previews at one Ally and one Shrine cards from the new ATLA set.

Teo: The Beloved Character

Teo is a cherished minor character in ATLA, a boy of Earth Kingdom that resided in an Air Temple after his village was ruined in a disaster, an event that left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's skill in engineering, Teo can soar in the air with his glider, even dares Aang to an aerial race.

This card Teo reproduces Teo's love of flying and his tribe's use on gliders by allowing the player draw and discard whenever you attack with a flying unit, and additionally strengthening your creatures with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine

Regarding his home, this is represented as the card Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life when coming into play, based on the number of Shrines you control.

It also removes an additional point whenever another Shrine comes onto the field.

It appears to be an impactful addition, given the card's cheap cost and valuable enter the battlefield effect.

A big drawback for Shrine strategies in formats besides EDH is that these cards are typically Legendary, however Northern Air Temple can be effective when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that drains all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

The Welcome Crossover

Currently when crossover sets are garnering a lot of hate by the community, an iconic series such as Avatar could be precisely just what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Preview period has begun, with all cards will be launched on Nov. 21.