🔗 Share this article

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release in the coming days, yet after early access events this past weekend, one cheap green card experienced a surge in market worth.

Even during previews, this small creature drew widespread focus. A 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, the card includes the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the most effective within the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card lies in another power: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, yet, the going rate escalated to $49.66 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. The reason for premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Mainly because of the explosive mana ramping it provides.

As it hits the board, the cub converts a land to a creature land granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it stays in play, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — plus any creatures on your side that produce resources.

An ideal partner for synergy is the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that produces one green mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks in the game. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value instead.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, you may quickly play a very big pricey threat on the battlefield by round three or four. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on after that.

If you dip into a secondary color with this approach, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that generate any mana color. Additionally, this powerful dryad lets you play another terrain every round AND makes every land you control so they count as all basics. Another possibility is such as this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana provides every card you own the ability to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers each creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub could be too strong when it comes to boosting mana production, yet what closes out the game for a deck like this? An often-seen solution is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests in addition to their other types. In other words, every single creature you control may generate two green mana when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness match how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit in this deck. Her passive ability makes every Forest tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, that means all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability functions like a form of land animation, adding counters on terrain, which is great but it isn't redundant with earthbending. The minus ability, though, renders your entire land base indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests from your library. Once you trigger the ultimate, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all green Avatar deck focusing on Earthbending. When branching into Gruul colors, consider this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage in combat, each animated land are ready again and can attack again. Although this card has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain among the top, possibly the sought-after card in the Avatar set.