🔗 Share this article Reveal: The Way Magic's Avatar Expansion Reintroduces 2 Popular Tribe-Focused Mechanics MTG enthusiasts consistently enjoy tribal tactics — who has not built a zombie deck at some point? — and this upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond release is reintroducing two well-known mechanics that match seamlessly with the flavor. Reappearing Tribal Mechanics One initial mechanic, named "Ally," was debuted with the Zendikar which provides boosts each time more permanents with the Ally subtype enter the battlefield. On the other hand, "Shrine" is another enchantment type that originated in Kamigawa. While not exactly creature-based tribe, Shrines also become power as you controls additional Shrines in play. The Return of the Ally Mechanic While Shrine cards have shown up here and there across recent sets, the Ally subtype has been much rarer — until that ends with Avatar: The Last Airbender, where the mechanic gets central. The protagonist Aang has to recruit many allies on his quest to bring back balance across the four nations, and there's no better way to represent that in an Magic: The Gathering set. Exclusive Card Showcase Following the initial card announcement, here is a look of one Allies plus a Shrine card in the new Avatar: The Last Airbender release. Teo, Spirited Glider: A Fan-Favorite Character This character stands as a popular minor figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy of Earth Kingdom who resided in an Air Temple following his home was destroyed by a disaster, which rendered him unable to walk. Thanks to his father's expertise with engineering, Teo can soar in the air with his glider, and challenges the Avatar to a flying race. The card Teo, Spirited Glider showcases Teo's passion of the skies along with the Earth Tribe's reliance on gliders through allowing the player draw and discard whenever you attack with an airborne creature, while additionally strengthening your creatures with +1/+1 counters at the same time. The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine Enchantment Speaking of Teo's home, it is represented as the card Northern Air Temple, which drains an opponent's life when coming into play, based on how many of Shrines you control. It also removes one more point anytime another Shrine comes onto the battlefield. It looks like a strong addition, given its cheap cost and valuable enter the battlefield effect. A major drawback for Shrine strategies outside of EDH is the fact that these cards are always Legendary, but Northern Air Temple can be effective when paired with another Shrine, that drains all opponents during the start of your turn. The Timely Crossover Currently while Universes Beyond sets are receiving a lot of backlash from the community, a beloved series such as Avatar: The Last Airbender could be precisely what MTG requires. Spoiler season is already here, with the full set will be launched November 21st.