Scoop: The Way Magic's Avatar: The Last Airbender Expansion Reintroduces 2 Popular Tribe-Focused Gameplay Features
MTG fans often embrace tribal tactics — what player hasn't constructed a zombie deck before? — and the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender Universes Beyond set revives two popular mechanics which align seamlessly to its theme.
Returning Tribe-Supporting Abilities
The initial mechanic, called "Allies," first introduced with the Zendikar and grants boosts whenever additional permanents with this subtype enter the battlefield.
On the other hand, "Shrines" represents another enchantment-based type which first appeared in Kamigawa. While not exactly a creature tribal theme, these enchantments likewise gain abilities when you has more Shrines in play.
The Comeback for Allies Mechanic
Although Shrines have been appeared here and there across newer releases, the Ally mechanic was far less common — but this changes in Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which this feature is prominently used.
Aang must recruit numerous friends on his journey to restore balance across the four nations, and there's no more fitting method to reflect that in a Magic: The Gathering expansion.
Exclusive Cards Showcase
Following the initial card reveal, below is a look at one Ally and a Shrine cards from the new ATLA release.
Teo, Spirited Glider: The Fan-Favorite Figure
This character is a beloved supporting figure from Avatar: The Last Airbender, a boy from the Earth Tribe that resided in the Northern Air Temple after his home was ruined by a flood, which rendered him paraplegic.
Because of his father's skill with mechanics, he can glide in the air with a flying device, and challenges Aang to a flying contest.
The card Teo, Spirited Glider represents Teo's passion of the skies along with his tribe's reliance on gliders by allowing the player loot each time a player attacks with an airborne creature, while also boosting your team via +1/+1 counters at the same time.
The Temple Card: The Strong Shrine
Regarding his dwelling, this is represented in a card named The Northern Air Temple, that drains your opponent's life when entering the battlefield, depending on how many Shrine cards you control.
It also removes one more life whenever a Shrine enters the battlefield.
This looks like a strong addition, considering its cheap cost and good ETB effect.
A major weakness for Shrine-based decks in formats besides Commander is the fact that Shrines are typically Legendary, but this card is great when paired with another Shrine, which deals damage to every opponent at the beginning of your turn.
The Welcome Crossover
At a time when crossover products are receiving a lot of backlash from the community, a beloved series like Avatar could be precisely what Magic: The Gathering requires.
Spoiler season has begun, with the full set set to be released on Nov. 21.