🔗 Share this article

MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market until later this week, yet due to prerelease weekends over the last few days, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub garnered significant interest. A 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, the card features the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the strongest among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk in its design comes from another power: Each time you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, however, the going rate has shot up above $45 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. The reason for premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Mainly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

As it hits the board, this creature turns a land into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, each affected land generates double mana — plus mana-producing creatures in your control which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces one green mana. Yet many other mana generation creatures available. This particular druid costs a bit more a 1/3 creature for two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive and very expensive creature on the battlefield early in the game. Momentum builds out of control with continued aggression after that.

If you dip into an additional hue in this strategy, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that generate any color of mana. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain each turn as well as transforms all of your lands so they count as all basics. Another possibility is for example a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the capacity to produce a mana of any type — which covers all creatures under your control.

The cub could be too strong when it comes to accelerating your resources, but what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya. Its power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests along with other subtypes. Essentially, every single creature on your board may generate two green mana if used for mana.

Another creature is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its power and toughness match your land total).

Nissa is an excellent fit in this deck. Her static effect allows all Forests produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability is essentially an early earthbend, placing counters on a land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her -8 ability, though, grants each land you control indestructible enabling you to draw out your remaining Forests in your deck. If you can actually activate the ultimate, this typically means game over.

This card is nearly mandatory for any kind of decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. If you dip into Gruul colors, you can use this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and when damage is dealt to a player, each animated land untap for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most desired card from this expansion.