🔗 Share this article

the popular card game’s collaboration with Avatar won’t become widely available until later this week, however following pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in value.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at G and 1 mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the strongest of the four bending abilities in the set). The real boon in its design lies in an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, the card sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, however, its value has shot up to $49.66 with at least one listed as high as $60. What explains Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mostly thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

When it arrives the board, the cub converts a land into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to other creatures in your control which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. However many other mana generation creatures out there. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature for two mana instead.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive pricey threat on the board early in the game. The situation escalates rapidly if you keep the pressure on from there.

When adding another color using this method, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that generate any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put an additional land per turn as well as turns all of your lands into every basic land type. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides all of your permanents the capacity to tap and generate a mana of any type — including any creature you have on the board.

This card could be too strong regarding ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win for a deck like this? An often-seen solution has been Ashaya. Its stats are set by how many lands you have, and it makes each creature you own into Forests along with their original types. In other words, every single creature on your board may tap for two G by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that benefits from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its stats are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa fits really well as a staple. One of her abilities causes every Forest tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in each one produce triple green.) Her main ability functions like an early earthbend, placing counters on a land, which is great but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. The minus ability, however, makes all of your lands immune to destruction enabling you to put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests in the deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly the game ends.

The cub is a must-have for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies focusing on the earthbend mechanic. When branching into red and green, you can use Bumi. It possesses earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt to a player, land creatures are ready again and can attack again. While that version is a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay among the top, possibly the sought-after card in the Avatar set.