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MTG enthusiasts frequently adopt tribal tactics — who hasn't built a zombie deck once or twice? — while the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set brings back 2 well-known examples which fit perfectly to the theme.

Returning Tribal Abilities

The first mechanic, called "Ally," was introduced in a Zendikar which provides bonuses each time additional permanents with the Ally subtype come onto play.

On the other hand, "Shrine" represents an enchantment subtype that first appeared with Kamigawa. Although not exactly a creature tribe, Shrines likewise become power when a player has additional of them on the battlefield.

The Comeback of the Ally Ability

Although Shrines have been appeared occasionally in recent sets, Allies subtype has been far less common — but this changes in ATLA, in which the feature gets prominently used.

Aang has to recruit a lot of allies on the quest to bring back balance across the four nations, and it's no more fitting method to reflect that through a Magic expansion.

Revealed Cards Preview

Following its initial set reveal, below is previews at an Ally plus one Shrines card in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: A Beloved Figure

Teo stands as a popular minor figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of the Earth Tribe that resided in the Northern Air Temple after his village was destroyed in a flood, an event that rendered him unable to walk.

Due to his dad's skill with mechanics, he can soar in the air with a flying device, even dares Aang to a flying race.

The card Teo reproduces Teo's fondness of the skies and his tribe's reliance of gliders through allowing you draw and discard whenever you attack with a flying unit, while also strengthening your creatures with counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: A Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his dwelling, this appears in a card named The Northern Air Temple, which reduces your opponent's life total when entering play, based on how many of Shrines you control.

It furthermore drains one more life whenever a Shrine comes onto the field.

This appears to be an impactful card, given its cheap cost and good ETB ability.

One major weakness for Shrine strategies in formats besides Commander are that these cards are always Legendary, however this card can be effective when paired with another Shrine, which drains all opponents at the beginning of your turn.

A Welcome Collaboration

Currently when crossover sets have been garnering a lot of backlash from the community, a beloved series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender can be exactly what MTG requires.

Preview period has begun, and the full set set to be released on Nov. 21.