Avatar: The Last Airbender Early Previews Showcase Major Flavor Wins

Last updated on August 13, 2025

Avatar: The Last Airbender is going to be huge for MTG. Early previews today confirmed that the design team here knew how to excite both MTG players and hardcore fans of TLA.

We're getting numerous returning mechanics that feel truly ideal for the world of TLA, and also a number of new mechanics that attempt to capture the elemental energy of the series.

New Mechanics Confirmed

Wow, a power crept Oblivion Ring effect. We've never seen flash on an effect like this for only 2W. This is the first card we've seen that explains what the new bending mechanic does. Waterbend: While paying waterbend costs, you can tap your artifacts and creatures to help. Each pays for 1 generic mana. It's like Improvise + Convoke all in one!

Firebending allows you to add mana for combat tricks. Most characters will be getting multiple cards, and the hosts of the stream have said that the 3-color versions of characters represent their final stages of character development.

The art here also has tons of people thrilled, it looks as though it's a carefully reinterpreted version of a still from the show.

Ok, now this is absolutely INSANE. Earthbending is a power crept version of land animation. You can turn your lands into creatures, that, when they die/are exiled? Return to the field tapped. It's clear that Wizards wants Landfall to be viable in Standard, and this appears to be another step in that direction. That first line of text surely won't lead to any shenanigans, will it?

Yip yip! Airbending is kind of like that old mechanic “Champion an X” mixed with Warp from EOE. When you airbend a permanent, you exile, and then can recast them for other costs. Pillowfort players, ETB enjoyers, this ones for you.

Shrines

We haven't seen new shrines since Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. There are currently only 17 Shrines in the game, looks as though Go-Shintai of Boundless Vigor Commander decks will be getting huge upgrades.

Fans of Avatar are stoked to see Shrines being revived here, as entire story arcs are based on journeys to them!

Lessons

Who could forget Prince Zuko's struggle to grasp the art of lightning redirection? What a visceral card, a Standard-Legal Deflecting Swat that can (somewhat) easily be cast for just R. Is this the new best Lesson in the game?

Learning lessons is a huge part of Avatar: The Last Airbender, whether that be something like Sokka learning how to express his feelings to his crushes, or the integral moments of Aang learning how to master the elements.

Uniquely, the Learn mechanic won't be in the set. With a return to Arcavios (the home of Strixhaven) on the release schedule, perhaps TLA foreshadows even more new Learn cards!

On another note, peep this version of Sokka. A discard engine in Izzet? Probably doesn't go in Vivi Cauldron, but it theoretically could right?!

Flameo, Hotman!

We do still have quite some time before MTG x Avatar come out, with release officially happening on November 21st, 2025. With the indisputably awesome flavor on these cards, we can expect a new legion of Avatar: The Last Airbender fans to be migrating toward the world of MTG soon.