Written By: Julian Chlebowicz
Edited By: Enzo Fleith & Matthew Francis
Hey everyone! My name is Julian, I have been a Magic: The Gathering (MTG) player for about sixteen years, and have seen so many set releases that I can't even count. It’s safe to say I’ve seen a lot of hits and a lot of misses, and in this blog post, I’d like to share my thoughts on the new Universes Beyond Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) set (WARNING: Spoilers ahead for the Avatar: The Last Airbender series). And how vital good Universes Beyond adaptations are for fans of the original material and the card game to enjoy the set, its cards, and their interactions.
MTG has many different aspects that keep people hooked, two of which are engaging and unique card mechanics, or the incredible, unique art that both collectors and players place in their collections or decks. These are both huge reasons for MTG remaining relevant, what with so many card games having come out since its own release in 1993!
With how vital both these things are for the game, I will be taking a look at Universes Beyond ATLA, to see whether or not it will be remembered as a hit or a miss. I’ll be
speaking on the art of the set first, and the mechanics a bit later on, so if that's what interests you, scroll down!
Art is a big reason people take an interest in the game to begin with. Oftentimes, people will use the ‘rule of cool’, meaning they play a card mainly because the art on it is really cool, sometimes even building decks solely around that particular card.
Throwback to when I built a commander deck based on Breya Etherium Shaper, I chose this character purely because of the art. I loved how it fused magic and technology into a mysterious-looking cyborg with a heavy flavour of fantasy.
If they are not a player, the fantastic art contributes to people’s collections; the cooler the art in a set is, the more enthusiastic everyone will be for its release. So it's safe to say, good and original art in an MTG set is essential for its success.
Starting, we have some examples of the custom art they've made that is based on the ATLA series, with many different artists reflecting their own take on the source material, giving each a unique look and style. Even if you are not a fan, these cards have nice, clean art that appeals to both those who want to collect and to those who can use them in their decks. They are great as adaptations and as standalone cards, if someone doesn't care much about the ATLA series.
Nailing the art on common cards is crucial for an adaptation and for the set it's based on. The more good art is included in a set, the higher the chance each fanbase will take an interest in each others. Also, considering you are not likely to hit an alt art or super crazy hit on your first try when you rip a pack, common cards often are a player’s first impression of the set, and if they are new to MTG; of the entire game itself.
If you are a fan of the show, seeing your favourite characters in high-quality professional art might give you a new perspective on what card games can be, and you may be curious to look into Avatar and potentially expand the MTG player base as well. So I can say they nailed the art on the commons and non-borderless cards in this set.
Then we have a screen grab. It's great that it is a reprint of a card that people play a lot in Magic. Fans of the series and the game can keep their decks the same, but just swap out their boring old Force of Negation for this fantastic shot of the season finale, where Aang defeats Fire Lord Ozai and takes his bending away. Although one significant drawback is that this art does not reflect the card’s text and what it does, which may confuse magic players who assume the art of the card correlates with what it does, this can affect the flow of a game if you are constantly stopping to check what a card does. So it loses points in visual clarity (even though it looks sick).
If you are an ATLA fan, this is great for you to collect, but if you are not, you don’t really know what is going on, you might just grab the card because it’s a reprint and it’s shiny, but it does not bring you into the world of Avatar. They really should have saved this art for a card that had some syphoning mechanic, which would’ve made more sense, or used a different scene from the show that matches Force of Negation better. 10/10 for the cool factor, 5/10 for clarity.
Before we move on to the mechanics, I’d like to bring attention to the awesome art they've come out with for this set. They clearly had some very passionate artists working on this.
Now onto the mechanics, they are a massive part in getting fans and non-fans of the show into the card game, so a set with cards that are both interesting to combo, and also reflect the show's characters and abilities accurately, can play a huge role in its popularity.
The first example which I’ve picked is Zuko, with the Firebending mechanic, where you get mana during your combat, and having to spend it right away, you can use this mana to exile the top card of your library, which allows you to play it that turn. This is what many in that play MTG refer to as an ‘impulse draw’, further reflecting his impulsiveness; it even represents him being an Exiled Prince, which relates to his story arc where he is exiled from his home nation by his father, Fire Lord Ozai. This card is an excellent example of tying the mechanics of the card with the character on the art; the theme is consistent. Clearly, the designers over at Wizards Of The Coast (The MTG Publishers) watched the series before getting to work on this set.
Next, we have the Waterbend mechanic. Waterbend will have different effects depending on the card it's included on; here we have two examples, Katara, Bending Prodigy, which draws one and Flexible Waterbender, which increases the creature to 5/2. Both have a base cost, which can be reduced by 1 for each artifact and/or creature you wish to tap while paying the Waterbend cost. Blue in MTG is often portrayed by water, showing that Universes Beyond ATLA is sticking to the same themes as MTG. This Mechanic also stays true to the show, as waterbending in the show is portrayed as one of the most flexible forms of bending, allowing for the use of ice and water, and even bloodbending at some points. Having two such different effects portrayed as waterbending really lives up to the fantasy.
For Earthbending, I’ve picked the Badgermole card with the mechanic Earthbend, where, for a turn, a land turns into a creature. Reflecting how in ATLA, earthbending can be used to create offensive tools, where earth and rock are moved and used to attack. Sticking with the colour and element matching we saw in red with fire and blue with water, green is the colour associated with land, often being the colour that turns lands into creatures, and ATLA perfectly aligns with that—allowing for all our Toph and King Bumi fans to live out their earthbending fantasies.
Representing airbenders, we have Aang, The Last Airbender himself, wielding… You guessed it, the Airbending mechanic! This allows the player to target a non-land permanent to be exiled and later cast back for only two mana. This translates perfectly with how Aang fights in the show, very passive and many times knocks his opponents up and disarms them (which is why he didn't kill Ozai in the show, he is a pacifist and instead takes his bending away). White in magic has many effects that often prevent creatures from fighting or exiling them in the same way, so making Aang white is a perfect fit for him.
Lastly, we have all black cards in this set. These represent the antagonists and the plot points that the main characters must overcome. Black in magic is often the colour associated with pure ambition, and you would do anything to achieve your goals, even at the cost of others.
Some excellent examples of this archetype linking with the ATLA universe include Dai Li Indoctrination, the Dai Li of course being the Earth Kingdom operatives who conspire against Aang and his crew. Heartless Act, where we can see the sand benders stealing Appa while Aang and friends look for clues in the library. And finally, one of the characters that gives our protagonist a cause to fight against is Fire Lord Ozai, the ruthless emperor of the fire kingdom, who wants to conquer the world and end the Avatar cycle. All of these represent the MTG Black archetype perfectly, and once again, the source material finds a place within the world of MTG.
As seen in Universes Beyond: ATLA, faithfully portraying the universe through the card design benefits both fanbases. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender can enjoy seeing their favourite characters depicted in new Magic-style artwork and engaging mechanics that reflect their abilities. Meanwhile, non-fans can appreciate fun and flavorful cards that fit naturally within Magic’s art style and gameplay. Overall, the set does an excellent job of translating the ATLA world into Magic: The Gathering, introducing ATLA fans to MTG and MTG players to ATLA.
As always, Top Shelf Co. will be carrying these products when they release, but if you want to secure your product, you can Pre-Order Here! I hope you are all as excited as we are to see where this set takes the format. See you next time!
