Among the Avatar-themed most charming MTG cards is a formidable small powerhouse.

the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set will not get a wider release until later this week, yet due to pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub attracted widespread focus. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (perhaps the best within the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage in its design is its second ability: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, the card could be purchased at around $27. After the pre-release weekend, though, its value has shot up to nearly $50 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. The reason for premium pricing for this little creature? Primarily thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

When it arrives play, Badgermole Cub turns one land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — plus mana-producing creatures on your side that generate mana.

A clear choice for synergy is Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. However there are plenty of other mana generation creatures in the game. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 costing two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a massive pricey creature into play within a few turns. Momentum builds out of control if you keep the pressure on after that.

When adding a secondary color with this approach, options such as versatile mana producers are excellent picks that can make any mana color. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain per turn plus makes every land you control providing all land types. You can also consider for example a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives every card you own the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers any creature in play.

The cub could be too strong when it comes to accelerating your resources, but what closes out the game for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats match how many lands you have, and it makes all of your nontoken creatures into Forests as well as their other types. This means, all your creatures on your board may produce double green when tapped.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body which gains from a high land count (similar to Ashaya, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit as a staple. Her static effect causes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, this results in each one yield three G.) Her main ability acts as a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. The minus ability, though, makes each land you control immune to destruction and lets you draw out every Forest left in your deck. If you can actually activate that ability, this typically means you win.

This card is a must-have for all decks using green and Avatar built around the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red and green, consider Bumi. It possesses earthbend 4, and when he deals combat damage in combat, land creatures untap and may attack once more. Even though Bumi is a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the desired card in the collaboration.

Kimberly Fisher
Kimberly Fisher

Elara is a seasoned traveler and writer, passionate about uncovering hidden gems and sharing transformative experiences from around the globe.

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