From one universe beyond our own to another, we step away from the Spiderverse and into the Avatar-verse!
…Late? What do you mean, late? That charming ork told me that I’d arrive before I left.
Well that’s the last time I trust a portal that screams with the souls of the damned to get to my destination. I’ll just pay the cab fare next time.
But all the same, hop in, planes walker, we’ve got some mechanics to learn.
CLUE
And I think our first one will give us a hint to what’s in store!
That’s right, Clues are back and up to their old hint-giving habits.
Zoinks, Gaang! I think there might be something wrong in Ba Sing Se!
If you’ve been around the Innistrad block at all, you’re no doubt familiar with Clues. These are returning, colourless tokens that can be sacrificed for two mana in order for you to draw a card. There’s no Investigate keyword this time around, so I’m sorry to say that you can’t play Columbo, learn the secret weakness of firebenders, and convince Ozai to turn himself into the authorities, but there are still some mechanics that respond to you drawing cards.
And on the topic of learning…
LESSON
And as we journey along to the fire nation, where everything will burn, Toph’s here to teach us all a lesson we won’t Learn-
Namely, she cannot see. Yet we will still fall for it every time she says something looks nice.
No, but seriously, Learn doesn’t reappear as a keyword in this set, so we’re all doomed to live as historians: watching as history repeats and no one maintains any of the lessons received.
That said, it’s not like Lesson doesn’t interact with anything: some cards will have additional effects whenever you cast a lesson. It’s just a much more direct learning experience.
BENDING
And much like Aang, we’ve also got a lot to learn when it comes to the various bending styles of the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I mean, you didn’t really think there would be an Avatar set without bending, right?
Each style of bending comes with its own intricacies and its own ways to impact the board state, and when the four come together?
Well…
I wouldn’t want to stand in his way.
Would you?
FIRE
Everything changed, yadda yadda, blah blah blah.
YOU HAVE HEARD THIS JOKE BEFORE.
But since things change when the fire nation attacks, it’s only fitting that your mana count changes when firebenders attack, right?
Firebending is a great mechanic for Red because it gives you more mana during your combat phase. Cards with Firebending will have a number next to the Firebending keyword: that’s how much mana you gain during that combat phase - but as soon as you hit your second main phase?
Poof. Gone.
Still, that’s a lot of time to cast loads of Instant removal and damage spells. But if you’re worried about what to do with that extra Red mana (and let’s be honest, you’re playing Red, you’re not worried at all), Firebending cards tend to have ways to spend that mana REAL quick.
Double the firepower, DOUBLE THE FUN!
EARTH
But maybe you’re looking for something that builds up a bit slower, a bit steadier. Something that lets you grow and grow until finally crushing your foes in a LANDslide…
Well, Earthbending might just be what you’re looking for.
Earthbending also has a number, but instead of that number being how much mana you get, it’s how much you give your mana.
I mean I don’t think I can do better than the flavour text of the card, I’m gonna be real here.
Whenever you Earthbend, you turn your land into a 0/0 creature and give it the Earthbending value in Power and Toughness. Worried about your land dying? Don’t be, whenever it dies or is exiled, it just comes back to the battlefield tapped.
Sometimes even the land itself rises up against an invader.
WATER
Firebending gives you mana, Earthbending gives mana power, what about Waterbending?
Well, Waterbending lets you avoid paying mana.
Just like the others we’ve covered so far, Waterbending has a number next to it. Unlike the others, this number is a cost.
But, Waterbending costs don’t have to be paid with mana. Instead, you can also tap an artefact or creature in order to pay for one of the Waterbending cost - so if I’m absolutely drowning (ha) in artefacts that aren’t doing me much good, as far as Waterbending is concerned?
Well, that’s free mana.
Geez, Haha, I’m not sure that’s just water you’re bending there…
AIR
Which brings us to the final form of bending: Airbending.
Like a gust of wind (or the rush of a hurricane), Airbending is a keyword action that lets you take a creature and send it soaring off elsewhere.
And by “elsewhere”, I do, in fact, mean into exile. Once there, you can recast the card to the battlefield for 2 colourless. Of note, that means that you cannot cast a card with X - that X is always going to be 0.
It also means that if a Land happens to get Airbended away, you can’t play that Land again. You can only Cast cards that have been exiled with Airbending.
Did I mention that the card doesn’t have to be one you control?
That’s a lot of Bending. Honestly, learning all that is enough to leave anyone feeling exhausted…
EXHAUST
Which ties nicely into our next mechanic: Exhaust!
Exhaust abilities are one-shot abilities that give your card a little extra oomph. Just a little bit of an additional kick to deal with a tough situation, like added counters or abilities. But once used, there’s no using them again.
It’s a one-time thing.
Though, if you use it right, one shot might be all you need.
…Unless you happen to, say, exile a card and then cast it again, that is.
SHRINES
And with so many enchanting mechanics, it would be a shame to not have any enchantments to talk about!
Thankfully, Avatar has us covered on that one: with Shrines!
Yes, Shrines. These Legendary Enchantments have made a return, and just like with a certain other TCG the goal is to catch them all! For each other Shrine you control, your Shrines will give you a little something for your trouble.
And thematically, for the Red shrine that something is “more creatures”.
Whew, there sure are a lot of mechanics in this set. It’s quite the Saga…
DOUBLE FACED SAGAS
And so are these!
Double Faced Sagas are also making a return this set. Double Faced Sagas are another form of Enchantment: on one side, you have the Saga of a legendary character, each chapter bringing another effect to the board, and once the tale concludes?
Then the star of the show is ready to make their grand appearance!
You might cast her with Forests…
but she’s here to make an Island!
And speaking of Sagas concluding, that is the last of the mechanics for Avatar: The Last Airbender!
Make sure that you grab yourself some Avatar as a holiday treat down at the Tower!
…And while you’re there, make sure to save yourself a copy of the new sets, Lorwyn Eclipsed and the next Universes Beyond, TMNT!
Until next time, may all your Rares be Mythics!
-Loremaster Sokar
