Reveal: How Magic: The Gathering's Avatar: The Last Airbender Set Brings Back 2 Fan-Favorite Tribal Gameplay Features

MTG fans often embrace tribal tactics — what player hasn't constructed a goblin strategy once or twice? — and this forthcoming ATLA Universes Beyond set brings back 2 beloved examples that align seamlessly with the setting.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

One first ability, named "Allies," first introduced in the Zendikar set which provides boosts whenever more permanents with the Ally type come onto the battlefield.

Meanwhile, "Shrines" is an enchantment subtype which first appeared in Champions of Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, Shrines likewise gain abilities as a player owns additional of them on the battlefield.

A Return for Allies Mechanic

While Shrines have been appeared here and there across newer sets, Allies subtype was much rarer — but that changes in ATLA, where this mechanic gets prominently used.

The protagonist Aang must gather many friends on his journey to bring back peace across the four nations, and it's no better method to represent that through a Magic: The Gathering set.

Revealed Card Preview

After the initial card reveal, here is a look of an Ally plus a Shrines cards from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender release.

Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Figure

This character is a popular minor figure from ATLA, a boy of Earth Kingdom who resided in an Air Temple following his village was ruined by a flood, an event that left him unable to walk.

Thanks to his dad's skill in mechanics, Teo is able to soar through the skies using a flying device, even dares the Avatar to a flying race.

The card Teo represents Teo's passion for flying along with his tribe's use on flying machines by allowing the player draw and discard each time you attack with an airborne unit, while also pumping your team with +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Regarding his home, it appears as a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life upon entering play, based on the number of Shrines you have.

The card also removes an additional point whenever another Shrine comes onto the field.

This looks like an impactful addition, given the card's low mana cost plus valuable enter the battlefield effect.

One major weakness for Shrine-based decks in formats besides Commander is the fact that Shrines are typically Legendary, but this card can be great when paired alongside another Shrine, which drains all opponents at the beginning of your main phase.

A Timely Crossover

Currently while crossover sets are receiving significant hate from fans, an iconic series like Avatar can be precisely just what Magic: The Gathering requires.

Preview period is already here, with the full set set to be launched on Nov. 21.

Joshua Duffy
Joshua Duffy

A seasoned gaming analyst and tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in digital entertainment and interactive media.