🔗 Share this article

MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t become widely available before the end of the week, however due to prerelease weekends over the last few days, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in value.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub attracted significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness priced at G and 1 mana, it has the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the strongest of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card is another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, the card sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, yet, its value jumped to $49.66 including listings for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly because of the explosive mana ramping it provides.

Upon entering play, Badgermole Cub converts a land to a creature land with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to mana-producing creatures you have that generate mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. But numerous other mana generation creatures available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous high-cost creature on the board by round three or four. The situation escalates rapidly by maintaining dominance after that.

By incorporating another color with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that generate all five colors. And something like a useful enchantment creature allows you to put an additional land each turn as well as turns your entire land base so they count as all basics. Another possibility is such as a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives all of your permanents the ability to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers any creature you have on the board.

The cub might seem overpowered regarding accelerating your resources, yet how do you win in such a strategy? An often-seen solution is Ashaya. Its stats match how many lands you have, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests in addition to their other types. Essentially, all your creatures you control is able to tap for two G if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat which gains from many terrain cards (as with the previous card, its stats are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a staple. Her passive ability makes every Forest produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one yield three G.) Her main ability is essentially an early earthbend, adding counters on a land, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, though, makes all of your lands indestructible enabling you to draw out your remaining Forests from your library. Once you trigger this power, it’s pretty much game over.

This card is nearly mandatory in any green Avatar deck focusing on the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into Gruul colors, consider this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player to a player, all land creatures untap and may attack once more. Although this card is a beloved leader, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.