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Magic: The Gathering players frequently adopt tribe-based strategies — who hasn't assembled a zombie strategy at some point? — and the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release brings back two beloved examples that align perfectly with its flavor.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

One initial ability, called "Ally," first debuted with a Zendikar set and grants buffs whenever additional creatures bearing this type come onto play.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" represents an enchantment type which first appeared in Champions of Kamigawa. While not a creature tribal theme, these enchantments also gain strength when a player controls additional Shrines on the battlefield.

A Return of Allies Ability

Although Shrines have appeared occasionally in newer sets, Allies subtype was far less common — but this changes in ATLA, in which this feature is heavily featured.

Aang has to gather a lot of allies on the journey to bring back balance to the four nations, so there's no more fitting method to reflect this in an Magic expansion.

Exclusive Cards Showcase

After its first card reveal, below is previews of one Ally plus a Shrine card from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Beloved Character

Teo stands as one popular minor character from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man of the Earth Tribe who resided at an Air Temple after his village was destroyed in a disaster, an event that rendered him unable to walk.

Because of his dad's prowess in mechanics, he can fly in the air with a flying device, and dares Aang in an aerial race.

This card Teo showcases Teo's love for the skies along with his tribe's use on gliders through allowing you draw and discard each time you attack using an airborne unit, while also boosting your creatures via +1/+1 counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: The Powerful Shrine

Speaking of his home, it appears in the card The Northern Air Temple, that drains your opponent's life upon coming into play, depending on the number of Shrines you control.

It also removes an additional point whenever a Shrine enters the field.

This appears to be an impactful card, considering its low mana cost and valuable ETB effect.

One big weakness for Shrine-based decks outside of Commander are that Shrines are always Legendary, however this card is great when paired alongside another Shrine, that drains all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

A Welcome Crossover

Currently while Universes Beyond products have been receiving significant backlash by fans, a beloved series like Avatar: The Last Airbender could be exactly just what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Preview period is already here, and all cards will be launched November 21st.