Among the Avatar-themed most adorable Magic cards is a formidable compact powerhouse.

Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to become widely available in the coming days, however due to prerelease weekends over the last few days, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in price.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness requiring a single green and one generic mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective among the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk with this card comes from another power: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, the card was available below $30. Following the early events, however, its value has shot up to nearly $50 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. The reason for Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

When it arrives the board, this creature turns a terrain card into a creature granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, while it is not removed, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — along with any creatures on your side that generate mana.

A clear choice for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces one green mana. But many alternative mana dorks in the game. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.

Deploying terrain, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you can easily get a very big high-cost threat into play within a few turns. The situation escalates exponentially by maintaining dominance after that.

By incorporating another color with this approach, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly which produce any color of mana. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play an additional land each turn plus makes your entire land base so they count as all basics. Another possibility is something like this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana provides all of your permanents the power to be tapped for any color mana — even any creature you have on the board.

This card may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice has been Ashaya. Its stats are set by how many lands you have, and it changes each creature you own into Forests along with other subtypes. In other words, each creature in play is able to produce double green if used for mana.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its stats match how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes all Forests tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, this results in those lands produce triple green.) Her main ability is essentially a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbending. The minus ability, on the other hand, renders your entire land base indestructible enabling you to draw out all the remaining forests in your deck. Once you trigger that ability, this typically means you win.

Badgermole Cub is a must-have in any green-based Avatar strategies focusing on Earthbending. By including red-green, you can use Bumi. It possesses earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt to a player, all land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. Although this card has become a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.

Melissa Casey
Melissa Casey

Mira is a seasoned gaming strategist and content creator, passionate about helping players maximize their in-game performance and achievements.