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Magic: The Gathering fans consistently embrace tribal decks — who has not constructed a zombie strategy before? — and the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover release revives 2 beloved examples that fit seamlessly with its flavor.

Returning Tribal Mechanics

The first mechanic, named "Ally," first debuted with a Zendikar set which grants boosts whenever more creatures with the Ally subtype come onto play.

Meanwhile, "Shrine" is another enchantment subtype that originated with Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, Shrines likewise gain abilities as you controls more of them in play.

The Comeback for the Ally Ability

While Shrines have been shown up sporadically across recent releases, Allies mechanic has been much rarer — until that ends with Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the feature gets central.

The protagonist Aang must recruit a lot of allies on the quest to bring back peace across the world, so it's no better method to show this through a Magic expansion.

Exclusive Card Showcase

Following the first card announcement, below are a look at an Allies and a Shrine card from the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender set.

Teo, Spirited Glider: The Beloved Figure

Teo is a beloved supporting figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a young man of Earth Kingdom that lived in the Northern Air Temple following his home was ruined in a flood, an event that rendered him unable to walk.

Because of his father's expertise in mechanics, he is able to glide through the skies with his glider, and dares the Avatar to a flying race.

This card Teo, Spirited Glider reproduces Teo's passion of flying along with his tribe's reliance of flying machines through allowing the player draw and discard each time a player attacks using a flying creature, and also pumping your creatures with counters at the same time.

The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine

Speaking of his dwelling, it appears in a card named Northern Air Temple, which reduces an opponent's life when entering play, depending on the number of Shrines you have.

The card furthermore removes one more life anytime a Shrine enters the field.

It appears to be a strong addition, given its low mana cost and valuable ETB effect.

One major drawback of Shrine decks outside of Commander is that Shrines are always Legendary, however this card is effective when paired alongside another Shrine, which drains every opponent at the beginning of your turn.

A Welcome Collaboration

Currently when Universes Beyond sets have been garnering a lot of hate from the community, a beloved franchise like Avatar can be precisely what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Preview period has begun, and all cards set to be released on Nov. 21.