One of the Avatar-themed most adorable collectible cards turns out to be a formidable compact powerhouse.

MTG’s Avatar crossover set will not hit the general market before the end of the week, however due to prerelease weekends recently, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. A 2/2 priced at G and 1 mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (possibly the best of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage in its design comes from another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, the card could be purchased for $26.98. Following the early events, yet, the going rate escalated to $49.66 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. What explains Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the board, this creature turns a terrain card to a creature land with earthbend. Combined with its other power, while it remains on the board, each affected land generates double mana — plus other creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate a green resource. But there are plenty of creatures that make mana in the game. Another option is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature for two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you can easily get a very big high-cost creature on the board by round three or four. The situation escalates out of control if you keep the pressure on from there.

If you dip into another color in this strategy, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that can make any mana color. Another card, a useful enchantment creature enables playing another terrain per turn as well as makes every land you control into every basic land type. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the power to tap and generate one mana of any color — even each creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub may be OP regarding boosting mana production, but how do you win in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are both equal to the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. Essentially, every single creature in play may tap for two G if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness are based on your land total).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit in this deck. One of her abilities causes Forest lands produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability functions like an early earthbend, placing counters on terrain, a useful effect but does not overlap with the cub's ability. The minus ability, on the other hand, renders all of your lands immune to destruction enabling you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests from your library. Once you trigger this power, it almost certainly the game ends.

Badgermole Cub is a must-have in any green Avatar deck that use Earthbending. When branching into red-green, you can use Bumi. He has earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to a player, land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. While that version has become a popular Commander choice, this small creature is definitely going to remain among the top, possibly the popular pick in the collaboration.

Ashley Green
Ashley Green

Tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger passionate about sharing innovative ideas and personal experiences to inspire others.