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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts frequently embrace tribal decks — who has not assembled a zombie deck once or twice? — while the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release revives two well-known examples which fit perfectly with the theme.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Abilities

One first ability, called "Allies," was debuted in the Zendikar set and gives boosts whenever additional creatures with this type come onto the field.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is another enchantment-based type which originated in Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly creature-based tribe, Shrines also gain strength when you has additional Shrines in play.

A Comeback for the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have been shown up sporadically in recent sets, the Ally subtype was seldom seen — but this changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which this mechanic is prominently used.

Aang must recruit numerous friends on his quest to restore balance across the world, and it's no more fitting method to show that through an Magic: The Gathering set.

Revealed Card Preview

After its initial card reveal, here is a look of one Ally plus a Shrine cards from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender release.

Teo: The Beloved Character

This character stands as one beloved supporting figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of the Earth Tribe who resided at the Northern Air Temple after his village was destroyed by a flood, which rendered him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's skill in engineering, Teo is able to glide in the air using his glider, and dares the Avatar in an aerial contest.

The card Teo, Spirited Glider represents his love of the skies along with the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders by allowing you draw and discard whenever you attack using a flying creature, while additionally pumping your creatures with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of Teo's dwelling, this appears in the card Northern Air Temple, that reduces an opponent's life upon coming into the battlefield, depending on how many Shrine cards you have.

It furthermore removes an additional point whenever another Shrine enters the battlefield.

It looks like a powerful addition, given the card's low cost and valuable ETB effect.

A major weakness for Shrine-based decks outside of EDH is that Shrines are typically Legendary, however this card can be effective when paired with another Shrine, which deals damage to every opponent during the start of your main phase.

The Welcome Collaboration

At a time when Universes Beyond products are receiving a lot of backlash from fans, a beloved franchise like Avatar can be precisely just what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Spoiler season is already here, and all cards will be launched November 21st.