Magic: The Gathering is bringing the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender to life in November. This groundbreaking collaboration marks the first time where four elemental bending arts will get translated into Magic mechanics. It promises to revolutionize the way how players interact with the battlefield.
The Four Elements Come to Magic
The upcoming set introduces bending mechanics that correspond to each of the four classical elements from the Avatar universe. Based on the revealed Avatar Aang card, each type of bending will function as a unique keyword ability. They include:
• Firebending – Associated with red mana, likely dealing direct damage.
• Waterbending – Connected to blue mana, potentially involving card draw and healing effects.
• Earthbending – Tied to green mana, probably focusing on the +1/+1 counters and permanents.
• Airbending – Linked to white mana, possibly granting flying and protective abilities.
How Does Bending Mechanisms Work
Official details on how the bending mechanisms work are yet to be released on August 12. However, rumors say that they will operate via a counter-based system. This is where each bending type would place specific counters on permanents, which can be removed for unique effects. For example:
• You can remove fire counters to deal 1 damage to any target.
• You can remove water counters to untap permanents and provide life gain.
• You can remove earth counters to add +1/+1 counters to fetch lands.
• You can remove air counters to grant flying and ward abilities.
The Avatar Aang Showcase
The centerpiece card Avatar Aang can transform into Aang, Master of Elements. It features artwork by series co-creator Bryan Konietzko. This double-faced card demonstrates how bending mechanics will scale with power level. On the other hand, the transformed side of Aang showcase how all four elements work in harmony, while dealing with damage.
Strategic Implications to Keep in Mind
The bending system appears to be draft-friendly. However, it still maintains competitive depth. Each element will likely support different strategies. For example:
• Aggressive red decks can leverage firebending for direct damage.
• Control blue builds may use waterbending for card advantage.
• Midrange green strategies could benefit from the permanent growth of earth ending.
• Tempo white decks may use evasive abilities of airbending.
Unlike previous Universes Beyond sets, Avatar: The Last Airbender will be fully standard legal. In other words, these bending mechanics will shape competitive play across all platforms. This represents a significant shift in the design philosophy of Magic as well. It brings beloved characters and mechanics directly into tournament play.
