🔗 Share this article

MTG’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to hit the general market before the end of the week, however due to prerelease weekends this past weekend, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in price.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. A 2/2 priced at G and 1 mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective of the elemental mechanics available). Its key advantage with this card is an additional effect: Each time you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, the card was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, though, the market price jumped to nearly $50 including listings as high as $60. What explains Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mainly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the board, this creature turns a land to a creature land with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it is not removed, those lands produces twice the mana — along with mana-producing creatures you have that generate mana.

A clear choice for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces G mana. But numerous other mana generation creatures available. This particular druid costs a bit more a 1/3 creature for two mana instead.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive pricey threat on the board early in the game. Momentum builds rapidly with continued aggression from that point.

By incorporating another color with this approach, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that generate any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing one extra land per turn AND makes your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is something like a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives all of your permanents the capacity to produce one mana of any color — including all creatures you have on the board.

This card may be OP in terms of boosting mana production, but what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer has been Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness match your land count, plus it turns all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. In other words, all your creatures on your board may tap for two G if used for mana.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with lots of lands (like Ashaya, P/T are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa fits really well as a staple. Her static effect makes Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (Combined with earthbend, this results in those lands generate three green mana.) Her main ability acts as an early earthbend, placing counters on a land, which is great but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. The minus ability, though, renders all of your lands unbreakable and allows you to draw out your remaining Forests in your deck. Once you trigger that ability, this typically means you win.

This card is a must-have for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies built around earthbend. By including Gruul colors, there’s this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, plus if damage is dealt to a player, each animated land become untapped for another attack. While that version is a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay among the top, possibly the popular pick from this expansion.