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MTG enthusiasts consistently adopt tribe-based decks — who has not constructed a goblin deck once or twice? — while this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set revives two beloved examples that match seamlessly with its setting.

Returning Tribe-Supporting Mechanics

One first mechanic, known as "Allies," first introduced in the Zendikar which grants buffs whenever additional permanents bearing this type come onto play.

On the other hand, "Shrine" represents another enchantment subtype which originated with Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly creature-based tribe, these enchantments also become strength when a player owns additional Shrines in play.

A Return for Allies Mechanic

While Shrine cards have been shown up occasionally in recent sets, Allies subtype was seldom seen — but that changes with Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which this mechanic is heavily featured.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit many companions during the journey to bring back balance across the four nations, so it's no more fitting way to show this in an Magic expansion.

Revealed Cards Preview

Following the first set announcement, below is a look at one Allies and one Shrines cards from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo: A Beloved Character

This character stands as one popular supporting character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of the Earth Tribe who resided at an Air Temple following his village was destroyed by a disaster, an event that left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his father's expertise with engineering, Teo can fly in the air with his glider, and challenges the Avatar 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 a player attacks with an airborne unit, while also strengthening your creatures with +1/+1 counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine

Speaking of his dwelling, it appears as a card named The Northern Air Temple, that reduces an opponent's life when coming into the battlefield, depending on how many of Shrines you control.

The card furthermore removes an additional point whenever a Shrine comes onto the field.

This appears to be an impactful addition, considering the card's low cost plus good enter the battlefield ability.

One major drawback for Shrine-based strategies in formats besides EDH are the fact that Shrines are always Legendary, however this card is great in combination alongside another Shrine, that drains all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

A Timely Collaboration

Currently when Universes Beyond sets are receiving significant hate from the community, an iconic series like Avatar could be precisely just what MTG requires.

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