🔗 Share this article

the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, however after prerelease weekends recently, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in market worth.

From the initial reveals, this small creature drew significant interest. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, it has level 1 earthbending (possibly the best within the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage here is an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. After the pre-release weekend, yet, its value has shot up above $45 and one seller offering as high as $60. What explains such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mostly because of the incredible mana acceleration it enables.

As it hits the battlefield, Badgermole Cub turns one land to a creature land that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it is not removed, every earthbent land generates double mana — plus any creatures in your control that produce resources.

A clear choice for synergy would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that produces one green mana. However many other mana generation creatures available. This particular druid costs a bit more a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you may quickly play a massive high-cost threat into play within a few turns. Momentum builds rapidly if you keep the pressure on from that point.

By incorporating an additional hue using this method, cards like versatile mana producers work perfectly that generate any mana color. Additionally, this powerful dryad lets you play one extra land every round as well as transforms every land you control into every basic land type. Another possibility is for example this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — including all creatures you have on the board.

The cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, but what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer has been Ashaya. Its power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own Forests along with other subtypes. This means, every single creature you control can produce double green if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its stats match your land total).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit in this deck. Her static effect makes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability functions like a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her ultimate, though, renders all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests in your deck. Once you trigger this power, this typically means you win.

The cub is pretty much essential in any green Avatar deck built around earthbend. By including red and green, there’s Bumi Unleashed. It possesses earthbend 4, and when it hits a player in combat, land creatures untap for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a beloved leader, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most sought-after card in the collaboration.