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Magic: The Gathering players consistently enjoy tribal tactics — who hasn't constructed a goblin deck before? — and the new ATLA Universes Beyond set revives two popular mechanics which align seamlessly to its theme.

Reappearing Tribe-Supporting Abilities

One first mechanic, named "Ally," first introduced in a Zendikar and grants buffs each time more permanents bearing the Ally type come onto play.

On the other hand, "Shrines" is another enchantment-based type which originated with Kamigawa. While not exactly creature-based tribal theme, Shrines likewise become power as a player controls more of them on the battlefield.

A Return for the Ally Mechanic

Although Shrines have shown up here and there in newer sets, the Ally mechanic was far less common — until that changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which the mechanic is heavily featured.

Aang must assemble many friends on the quest to bring back peace to the four nations, so there's no better method to represent this in an Magic set.

Exclusive Card Preview

Following its first card reveal, here are a look of one Allies plus one Shrines cards in the upcoming ATLA set.

Teo: The Fan-Favorite Character

Teo is a popular minor character from ATLA, a young man of Earth Kingdom who lived at an Air Temple following his home was ruined by a flood, an event that rendered him paraplegic.

Because of his father's expertise with engineering, he can fly through the skies using a flying device, and dares Aang in a flying race.

The card Teo showcases his love for flying along with the Earth Tribe's reliance on flying machines by letting the player draw and discard whenever a player attacks using a flying unit, while additionally pumping your team via +1/+1 counters in the process.

The Temple Card: The Powerful Shrine Enchantment

Speaking of Teo's dwelling, this appears in a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains an opponent's life when entering the battlefield, depending on the number Shrine cards you control.

It furthermore drains one more life whenever another Shrine enters the battlefield.

It appears to be an impactful addition, given the card's low cost and good ETB ability.

One big drawback for Shrine strategies in formats besides Commander are the fact that Shrines are always Legendary, however this card is great when paired alongside Sanctum of Stone Fangs, which deals damage to all opponents during the start of your main phase.

A Timely Collaboration

At a time while crossover products have been garnering a lot of criticism from the community, a beloved series like Avatar could be exactly what Magic: The Gathering needs.

Spoiler season is already here, with the full set set to be launched on Nov. 21.