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Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts consistently enjoy tribal decks — who hasn't built a zombie deck before? — while the upcoming ATLA Universes Beyond set brings back two well-known examples that align seamlessly with the setting.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

One initial ability, called "Allies," was debuted with the Zendikar set which provides bonuses whenever additional creatures bearing the Ally subtype come onto play.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is an enchantment subtype which first appeared with Champions of Kamigawa. Although not exactly creature-based tribal theme, Shrines likewise become strength when a player controls additional Shrines on the battlefield.

The Return of the Ally Mechanic

While Shrines have shown up sporadically in newer sets, Allies mechanic has been seldom seen — but that changes with Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which this feature is heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang must assemble a lot of friends on the journey to bring back balance to the four nations, and it's no better way to represent this in a Magic set.

Revealed Cards Preview

Following the first set announcement, below is a look at one Allies and one Shrine card in the new ATLA set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Beloved Figure

This character stands as a popular minor figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom who lived at an Air Temple after his village was destroyed in a disaster, which rendered him unable to walk.

Thanks to his father's prowess in engineering, Teo can glide in the air using a flying device, even dares the Avatar in an aerial race.

The card Teo represents Teo's passion of the skies along with the Earth Tribe's use on gliders through allowing the player draw and discard whenever you attack using a flying creature, and additionally pumping your team with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine Enchantment

Regarding Teo's dwelling, it appears as a card named The Northern Air Temple, which reduces your opponent's life when coming into the battlefield, based on how many of Shrines you control.

It furthermore drains one more point whenever a Shrine enters the field.

It appears to be an impactful card, given its low mana cost and good ETB ability.

One big weakness for Shrine-based decks in formats besides EDH is the fact that Shrines are typically legendary permanents, however Northern Air Temple is great when paired alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that drains every opponent at the beginning of your main phase.

A Timely Crossover

Currently while crossover sets are receiving significant criticism from fans, a beloved franchise like Avatar: The Last Airbender can be precisely what Magic: The Gathering requires.

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