The upcoming Magic: The Gathering – Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover set, releasing in November 2025, is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Standard shake-ups in recent memory. With new bending mechanics and a host of powerful legendary creatures, this Universes Beyond set blends elemental flavor with mechanical innovation.
From aggressive decks to complex control builds, the Avatar set looks ready to breathe fresh air into the Standard metagame. Let’s explore six archetypes that could see major improvements — or emerge entirely new — once this set joins the format.
1. Element-Bending Aggro
The most straightforward archetype to benefit is Element-Bending Aggro, built around the four bending types — Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Each bending ability offers a unique twist on traditional aggressive gameplay, from Airbending’s evasion to Firebending’s explosive burst potential. Expect fast Red/White or Red/Blue decks that focus on early board presence and efficient combat tricks. These decks will likely punish slow starts and capitalize on synergy between cheap elemental creatures and low-cost bend triggers.
2. Four-Color Toolbox Control
The set’s multicolor legends, including Avatar Aang, open the door to four- and even five-color strategies. A Toolbox Control deck could use various bending cards to answer threats and unlock powerful late-game effects after mastering all four elements. The deck’s biggest challenge will be mana consistency — balancing all colors without losing tempo. But with proper fixing and card selection, such a list could easily become one of Standard’s most flexible and rewarding builds.
3. Token and Ally Synergy
Many early previews suggest the return of Ally synergy and token generation. This points toward a White-based token deck that rewards going wide and stacking small, synergistic bonuses. With bending mechanics that create or enhance tokens, such as Waterbending’s potential healing and duplication, a Boros or Selesnya-style midrange deck could thrive. Expect to see gameplay centered on building a wide board, maintaining pressure, and turning incremental value into overwhelming force.
4. Artifact and Equipment Midrange
Earthbending appears to have strong ties to artifacts, fortifications, and land manipulation. That opens the door for a White/Green or Red/Green artifact midrange archetype focused on resilience and resource control. The deck might ramp early with artifacts or treasure tokens, then use Earthbending triggers to bolster defenses or create new threats. Expect this archetype to reward patience and timing — combining solid removal with scalable, board-centric threats.
5. Tempo and Spell-Bend Combo
With mechanics that reduce costs, grant evasion, or add burst potential, the set seems ripe for a Blue/Red tempo-combo deck. Bending triggers could act like pseudo-storm effects — chaining spells together for massive value. A well-timed series of bend activations could allow for sudden lethal damage or total control over the battlefield. This archetype will likely appeal to players who enjoy sequencing precision, fast interactions, and turning small advantages into instant victories.
6. Five-Color “Avatar State” Control
The boldest idea on the list is a Five-Color Avatar Control deck. Cards like Avatar Aang, which transform upon mastering all four elements, encourage deep deckbuilding around multicolor mana bases and versatile interaction. The payoff? A massive, game-ending transformation into the Avatar State — representing ultimate elemental mastery. This archetype will demand precise play and careful mana management but could easily become a top-tier finisher in Standard once properly tuned.
Final Thoughts
The Avatar: The Last Airbender set brings an exciting new layer of flavor and mechanical depth to Standard. From aggressive elemental swarms to intricate control decks that harness the full power of the elements, this set has the potential to redefine what competitive Standard looks like.
Whether you’re a fan of fast decks, synergy-driven engines, or late-game dominance, there’s something here for every player. The only question left is: which element will you master first?
Thank you for reading.