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Magic: The Gathering players often adopt tribe-based decks — who has not assembled a zombie deck at some point? — while the forthcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release brings back two popular examples that align seamlessly to the theme.

Returning Tribal Abilities

The first mechanic, named "Allies," was debuted with the Zendikar which gives boosts whenever additional creatures bearing the Ally type enter the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" is another enchantment type that first appeared in Kamigawa. Although not exactly a creature tribal theme, Shrines also become strength when you has additional Shrines in play.

The Comeback of the Ally Ability

While Shrine cards have been appeared here and there in recent sets, Allies mechanic was seldom seen — until this ends with ATLA, where this mechanic gets central.

The protagonist Aang must assemble many allies during his quest to restore balance across the four nations, and it's no more fitting way to reflect this in an Magic: The Gathering set.

Exclusive Card Preview

Following the first card announcement, below is previews of an Ally and one Shrine card from the new ATLA release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Character

This character is one beloved supporting character in Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man of the Earth Tribe who lived in the Northern Air Temple after his village was ruined in a flood, an event that rendered him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's expertise with engineering, he can glide through the skies using his glider, even dares Aang in an aerial contest.

The card Teo reproduces his love of the skies and his tribe's reliance of gliders by letting you draw and discard each time you attack with an airborne creature, while also strengthening your creatures via +1/+1 counters at the same time.

Northern Air Temple: A Strong Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of his dwelling, it is represented as the card The Northern Air Temple, which drains your opponent's life upon entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you have.

The card also drains one more point whenever another Shrine enters the battlefield.

This looks like an impactful card, considering the card's low mana cost plus valuable ETB ability.

One major drawback for Shrine strategies outside of EDH is that these cards are always Legendary, however Northern Air Temple is great in combination alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, that drains every opponent during the start of your main phase.

A Welcome Crossover

Currently while crossover products are receiving a lot of hate from fans, a beloved series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender can be precisely what MTG needs.

Spoiler season has begun, with the full set will be released on Nov. 21.