🔗 Share this article

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set will not hit the general market before the end of the week, however following pre-releases recently, one cheap green card has already exploded in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub attracted significant interest. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the best of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon with this card comes from its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, this card was available at around $27. Post-prerelease, however, the market price jumped above $45 including listings for sale at $60.00. What explains premium pricing on this adorable card? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it can produce.

When it arrives the battlefield, Badgermole Cub turns one land into a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — in addition to any creatures in your control that produce resources.

A clear choice for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces one green mana. Yet there are plenty of creatures that make mana available. Another option is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 for two mana instead.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive and very expensive threat on the battlefield early in the game. The situation escalates out of control if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, options such as versatile mana producers are all great options that generate any mana color. Another card, a useful enchantment creature enables playing an additional land per turn plus makes all of your lands into every basic land type. You can also consider something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides every card you own the power to be tapped for a mana of any type — even any creature under your control.

This card might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, yet how do you win with this archetype? A common and powerful choice already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are set by your land count, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests in addition to their other types. This means, each creature on your board may tap for two G by tapping.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with a high land count (like Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to your land total).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability allows all Forests tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, this results in each one yield three G.) Her plus ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, grants your entire land base immune to destruction and lets you put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests from your library. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential in any green Avatar deck built around the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red and green, there’s Bumi. He has level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player to an opponent, each animated land become untapped and may attack once more. Although this card is a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the desired card in the Avatar set.