<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coat of Arms" href="#" target="_blank">Coat of Arms</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.scottmfischer.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scott M. Fischer</a></span></i></p>
<h2>What Is a Typal Card?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve recorded 70+ episodes of a creature type-based podcast, </span><a href="http://anchor.fm/quote-of-arms?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quote of Arms</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, so I’ve seen a huge array of typal decks. When I look at spoilers for a new set, I tend to scan for cards that specifically reference a creature type, especially those that provide a new commander, direction, or signpost card for an existing type. This approach helps me sift through the deluge of new cards and avoid product fatigue.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The primary type to get a face-lift in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tla" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Avatar: The Last Airbender</em></a> set is Allies. You’d think it’d be Avatars, but, despite several incarnations of Aang, as well as a few flip Sagas and some one-off previous incarnations, none of them provide specific references to the type. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Warriors and Soldiers get some incidental support, however, and there’s even a universally-powerful card that can fit in just about any typal deck!</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Hakoda, Selfless Commander" href="#" target="_blank">Hakoda, Selfless Commander</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Hakoda, Selfless Commander"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hakoda is a strong card advantage engine for Allies, letting us cast them off of the top of the library. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bolas&#039;s Citadel" href="#" target="_blank">Bolas&#039;s Citadel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a beast of a card - a literal <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a> - and having one that slots into a typal deck is a massive boon. He can even pop himself to save our board from a wipe, and several of the decks I’ve built have dedicated slots to specifically that. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heck, Hakoda would make a solid commander (even has it in his name!), but being limited to one color and not being able to capitalize off of ETB effects are limiting factors.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Spirit Oasis" href="#" target="_blank">The Spirit Oasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Spirit Oasis"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shrines are an enchantment subtype that have had little support outside of Kamigawa-related sets. Still, they do reference each other, and getting another cycle of them will help them get to enough playable cards. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, they have gained a card advantage engine that is guaranteed to cantrip at a minimum and act as an enchantress effect at a maximum.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boiling Rock Rioter" href="#" target="_blank">Boiling Rock Rioter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boiling Rock Rioter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the set has provided plenty of reasons to shave colors from Allies, and black tends not to pull its weight in Allies, the Rioter is a house of a card.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s solid on-rate, acts as graveyard hate, and can provide some recursion for our Allies. It even firebends to pay for the cost of recasting Ally spells, which includes changelings like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nameless Inversion" href="#" target="_blank">Nameless Inversion</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lo and Li, Twin Tutors" href="#" target="_blank">Lo and Li, Twin Tutors</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Lo and Li, Twin Tutors"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve written <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-noble-typal-with-lo-and-li-twin-tutors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an article specifically about Lo and Li</a>, so I’ll keep it short here. A tutor in the command zone allows Lessons to function close to how they were intended, and Nobles haven’t received specific support until now. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Trying to unite the two was a fun challenge!</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ran and Shaw" href="#" target="_blank">Ran and Shaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ran and Shaw"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The true firebending masters are just as mysterious as their approach to bending is. They require Dragons or Lessons to be in the grave, although they reward Dragons more than Lessons by giving double <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Firebreathing" href="#" target="_blank">Firebreathing</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to all of our Dragons. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Interestingly enough, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dragon&#039;s Approach" href="#" target="_blank">Dragon&#039;s Approach</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> cares about Dragons and graves, so maybe there’s something there?</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Great Divide Guide" href="#" target="_blank">Great Divide Guide</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Great Divide Guide"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Not only is it better than a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grizzly Bears" href="#" target="_blank">Grizzly Bears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the Guide has an incredibly powerful ability. It acts as a combination of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Joiner Adept" href="#" target="_blank">Joiner Adept</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cryptolith Rite" href="#" target="_blank">Cryptolith Rite</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, making it a staple for any Ally deck with green, fixing the colors and adding explosive potential. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While Rite is a better card than Adept, having both in one card is special, and, ordinarily, the mana would be contained to casting or activating Allies, but the Guide isn’t.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kyoshi Island Plaza" href="#" target="_blank">Kyoshi Island Plaza</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kyoshi Island Plaza"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Spirit Oasis" href="#" target="_blank">The Spirit Oasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kyoshi Island Plaza" href="#" target="_blank">Kyoshi Island Plaza</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a major boon for Shrine decks. Those decks tend to be five-color, in order to fit as many Shrines as possible. The Plaza is a four-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at worst, which would help open up a bad hand. At best, however, it gets X basics where X is the number of Shrines and adds a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rampant Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Rampant Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to each Shrine we put out!</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ostrich-Horse" href="#" target="_blank">Ostrich-Horse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ostrich-Horse"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Birds have changed substantially with the introduction of Chocobos in <em>Final Fantasy</em>. While some are still in the familiar Azorius skies paradigm, Birds are now Bant-based (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) and with a new game plan. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new-look Birds are largely flightless and synergize with landfall. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ostrich-Horse" href="#" target="_blank">Ostrich-Horse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> fits this new look by milling cards and returning a land to hand, ensuring that landfall is hit.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earth King&#039;s Lieutenant" href="#" target="_blank">Earth King&#039;s Lieutenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Earth King&#039;s Lieutenant"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Lieutenant is a signpost Ally, doing everything an Ally deck wants. It puts counters on all Allies on ETB, and then gains counters from subsequent Allies entering. It’s perfect for decks that can maximize creatures entering, like adding Blink effects or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Panharmonicon" href="#" target="_blank">Panharmonicon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to Ally builds.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Guru Pathik" href="#" target="_blank">Guru Pathik</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Guru Pathik"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pathik supports Lessons, Sagas, and Shrines, finding them with his ETB and growing creatures when they’re cast. Shrines likely need to stay in five-color for now, but Lessons and Sagas could definitely use support, especially Sagas. Sagas have struggled to find solid leadership, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Satsuki, the Living Lore" href="#" target="_blank">Satsuki, the Living Lore</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <em>Assassin’s Creed</em> providing a few disappointing options. Putting them in the same colors as clones and counter manipulation is big game, indeed!</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Katara, the Fearless" href="#" target="_blank">Katara, the Fearless</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Katara, the Fearless"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-ally-deck-with-katara-the-fearless" target="_blank" rel="noopener">written at length about Katara </a></span><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-ally-deck-with-katara-the-fearless"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, but what I put for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Earth King&#039;s Lieutenant" href="#" target="_blank">Earth King&#039;s Lieutenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> applies here: Allies are built around ETBs, so doubling them is about the best thing an Ally deck can be doing. Katara feels like the gold standard for Ally decks going forward, solidifying the strategy and giving it a powerful leader.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sokka, Tenacious Tactician" href="#" target="_blank">Sokka, Tenacious Tactician</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sokka, Tenacious Tactician"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Katara is not the only member of her family capable of strong leadership, however. By the end of the series, Sokka had gone from comic relief to a powerful, menacing fighter with battle prowess of his own, and both menace and prowess are what he grants to our board, as well. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also provides a stream of Allies with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Young Pyromancer" href="#" target="_blank">Young Pyromancer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effect, which can trigger our other Allies.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop" href="#" target="_blank">Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Tea Shop reminds me strongly of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sliver Hive" href="#" target="_blank">Sliver Hive</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, as both tap for a generic mana, a mana of any color to cast a spell of a specific type, or, for five mana, tap to make a 1/1 token of the specific type. The Hive is a $10 card for a reason, and, while the Tea Shop likely won’t be worth as much, it’s just as powerful for Ally decks, even monochromatic ones, as a mana fixer and mana sink.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Lotus Hideout" href="#" target="_blank">White Lotus Hideout</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="White Lotus Hideout"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">White Lotus Hideout provides the same color fixing that the Tea Shop does, making this a staple for Lesson and Shrine decks, especially those in three or more colors. Entering untapped is a tremendous advantage, especially given that the Hideout is an uncommon card.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="White Lotus Tile" href="#" target="_blank">White Lotus Tile</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="White Lotus Tile"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ah, the piece de resistance. While the negative comparisons to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nyx Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Nyx Lotus</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are as inevitable as Thanos, the Tile has uses that the Lotus does not. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Lotus requires nontoken permanents, or, at least, permanents with mana symbols on them. The Tile just requires creatures of the type, so tokens will work, as will colorless creatures, like Eldrazi. And, if there’s one thing Commander players should be scared of, it’s Eldrazi players getting a huge boost of mana!</span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">For a set that’s not specifically designed around typal strategies, unlike, say, <em>Onslaught</em> or OG <em>Lorwyn</em>, there are a lot of strong typal cards in the <em>Avatar</em> set. They occupy a range of roles, from commanders to signposts to staples.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In particular, Allies have recaptured the explosion and excitement they used to have in <em>Zendikar</em>-block Standard, where their ability to trigger each other and grow stronger together was amazing, but couldn’t quite translate to Commander, curtailed by a five-color manabase and figurehead commanders. If that were all this set did, that would have been enough, but it does so much more!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But which <em>Avatar</em> cards are going into <em>your</em> typal decks? And what are the cards you’re looking to pick up?</span></p>


avatar typal cards

The Best Typal Cards in Avatar for Commander