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MTG enthusiasts frequently enjoy tribe-based decks — who has not assembled an elf deck before? — and this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set revives 2 popular mechanics that fit perfectly to the theme.

Reappearing Tribal Abilities

The initial mechanic, named "Ally," was introduced with the Zendikar which gives buffs each time more creatures with the Ally subtype enter the battlefield.

Alternatively, "Shrines" is another enchantment subtype that originated with Champions of Kamigawa. Although not exactly creature-based tribe, Shrines likewise become abilities when you controls more Shrines on the battlefield.

A Comeback for the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have shown up sporadically in recent sets, the Ally mechanic was seldom seen — but that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, where this feature gets central.

The protagonist Aang has to recruit a lot of allies during the journey to restore peace to the world, so it's no better way to represent this in an Magic set.

Revealed Cards Showcase

After its first card reveal, here are a look at an Ally plus a Shrine cards in the new Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo: A Fan-Favorite Figure

This character stands as one popular supporting figure in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man from Earth Kingdom that resided at an Air Temple following his village was destroyed by a disaster, which rendered him paraplegic.

Because of his father's prowess with mechanics, Teo is able to soar through the skies using his glider, even dares Aang to an aerial race.

The card Teo reproduces Teo's fondness of flying along with his tribe's reliance of gliders by allowing the player draw and discard each time you attack using a flying creature, while additionally boosting your team with counters in the process.

Northern Air Temple: The Powerful Shrine

Speaking of Teo's dwelling, this appears in a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life upon entering play, based on the number of Shrines you control.

The card furthermore removes an additional life whenever a Shrine enters the battlefield.

It looks like a strong addition, considering its low cost and good ETB ability.

A big weakness for Shrine decks in formats besides Commander are the fact that these cards are typically Legendary, but this card is great when paired with Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that drains all opponents at the beginning of your turn.

A Timely Crossover

At a time when crossover sets are receiving a lot of hate from fans, an iconic franchise like Avatar could be exactly just what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Preview period has begun, with the full set set to be released November 21st.