Exclusive: The Way Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender Expansion Brings Back 2 Fan-Favorite Tribal Mechanics
Magic: The Gathering players consistently enjoy tribal tactics — what player has not constructed a goblin deck at some point? — and this upcoming ATLA crossover set revives two popular mechanics that fit seamlessly with the flavor.
Reappearing Tribal Abilities
The initial ability, called "Allies," was introduced with the Zendikar set and grants buffs whenever additional creatures bearing the Ally subtype come onto the battlefield.
Meanwhile, "Shrine" represents another enchantment type that first appeared in Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribe, Shrines also become power when you controls more of them on the battlefield.
The Comeback for Allies Mechanic
Although Shrine cards have been shown up occasionally across recent sets, Allies mechanic has been far less common — until that changes with ATLA, where this mechanic gets heavily featured.
The protagonist Aang must gather many allies on his journey to restore balance across the four nations, and it's no more fitting way to show this through a Magic set.
Exclusive Cards Preview
Following the initial set reveal, below are previews of one Allies plus a Shrine cards from the new Avatar: The Last Airbender set.
Teo: A Fan-Favorite Character
Teo stands as one beloved supporting character from ATLA, a young man of Earth Kingdom who resided in the Northern Air Temple following his village was destroyed in a disaster, an event that rendered him unable to walk.
Because of his father's skill with mechanics, he is able to glide through the skies using his glider, and challenges Aang in a flying race.
The card Teo showcases his passion for the skies along with his tribe's use on gliders through letting you loot whenever you attack with an airborne creature, and also strengthening your team with +1/+1 counters at the same time.
The Temple Card: A Powerful Shrine
Speaking of his home, it is represented in the card Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life total when entering the battlefield, depending on the number of Shrines you control.
It furthermore drains one more point anytime a Shrine comes onto the field.
This appears to be a strong card, considering the card's cheap mana cost plus good enter the battlefield effect.
A major weakness of Shrine strategies in formats besides EDH is that Shrines are typically legendary permanents, but Northern Air Temple can be great when paired with another Shrine, which drains every opponent at the beginning of your turn.
The Welcome Crossover
Currently when Universes Beyond sets are receiving a lot of hate from the community, a beloved series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender could be precisely just what MTG needs.
Preview period has begun, with all cards will be released November 21st.