Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set will not get a wider release in the coming days, yet following pre-releases over the last few days, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in value.
From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card has level 1 earthbending (arguably the strongest within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk in its design comes from another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.
Initially, Badgermole Cub sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the going rate has shot up to $49.66 with at least one listed as high as $60. The reason for Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly due to the incredible mana acceleration it enables.
As it hits play, Badgermole Cub turns one land into a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it is not removed, those lands generates double mana — plus mana-producing creatures on your side which tap for mana.
A clear choice for maximum effect includes this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. However numerous alternative mana dorks available. Another option is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 for two mana in comparison.
By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a very big pricey monster on the battlefield by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling exponentially with continued aggression after that.
By incorporating a secondary color with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options which produce any mana color. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put another terrain every round plus turns your entire land base providing all land types. It's also worth trying for example a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants every card you own the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — including each creature under your control.
This card could be too strong when it comes to accelerating your resources, yet what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? An often-seen solution has been Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness match your land count, plus it turns your non-token creatures into Forests as well as their other types. In other words, every single creature in play can tap for two G when tapped.
Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with a high land count (like Ashaya, its stats are equal to how many lands you have).
Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly in this deck. Her static effect causes every Forest generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability is essentially an early earthbend, adding counters on a land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. The minus ability, though, renders each land you control unbreakable and allows you to search for your remaining Forests in your deck. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.
Badgermole Cub is a must-have for any kind of decks using green and Avatar focusing on earthbend. If you dip into red and green, there’s Bumi. He has level 4 earthbending, and when he deals combat damage to an opponent, each animated land untap and may attack once more. While that version is a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the sought-after card in the Avatar set.
