🔗 Share this article

the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to get a wider release before the end of the week, but following prerelease weekends this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub attracted widespread focus. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, it has Earthbending 1 (arguably the strongest within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage with this card comes from another power: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, the card was available for $26.98. Post-prerelease, however, its value has shot up above $45 and one seller offering as high as $60. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this little creature? Mainly because of the explosive mana ramping it enables.

As it hits play, this creature converts one land to a creature land granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, as long as it remains on the board, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — along with mana-producing creatures on your side which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for G mana. But there are plenty of creatures that make mana available. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive monster into play within a few turns. Momentum builds rapidly if you keep the pressure on from that point.

When adding an additional hue using this method, cards like versatile mana producers work perfectly that generate any mana color. Another card, this powerful dryad allows you to put another terrain each turn as well as makes your entire land base providing all land types. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides every card you own the power to be tapped for a mana of any type — which covers all creatures in play.

This card may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya. Power and toughness match how many lands you have, and it makes each creature you own Forests as well as their other types. This means, each creature on your board can tap for two G when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, its stats are equal to how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well in this deck. Her static effect causes Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her plus ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. Her ultimate, on the other hand, makes your entire land base immune to destruction and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in the deck. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

The cub is pretty much essential for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies built around the earthbend mechanic. By including red and green, consider Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player in combat, each animated land become untapped and may attack once more. While that version has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the popular pick in the Avatar set.