🔗 Share this article

MTG’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release before the end of the week, but due to prerelease weekends this past weekend, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in market worth.

Even during previews, this small creature garnered widespread focus. A 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, it features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective of the elemental mechanics available). The real boon here lies in an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, this card was available at around $27. Post-prerelease, though, the market price has shot up above $45 with at least one listed as high as $60. Why are we seeing such high costs for this cute lil guy? Primarily thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

Upon entering play, this creature converts a land into a creature that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, if it is not removed, each affected land produces twice the mana — plus any creatures in your control that produce resources.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate one green mana. Yet many alternative mana dorks in the game. Another option is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 for two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive creature on the board by round three or four. The situation escalates exponentially if you keep the pressure on from there.

When adding an additional hue using this method, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks which produce all five colors. Additionally, this powerful dryad allows you to put an additional land per turn as well as makes your entire land base so they count as all basics. You can also consider something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives all of your permanents the ability to be tapped for any color mana — including all creatures you have on the board.

This card may be OP in terms of accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya. Power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own to be Forests as well as their other types. In other words, all your creatures you control can tap for two G if used for mana.

Another creature is a costly, large threat that benefits from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness match how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities makes every Forest tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, that means those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as a proto-earthbend, placing counters on terrain, handy but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, though, makes your entire land base unbreakable and allows you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left in the deck. If you can actually activate the ultimate, this typically means game over.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all decks using green and Avatar built around the earthbend mechanic. By including Gruul colors, consider this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and when damage is dealt in combat, all land creatures are ready again and can attack again. While that version has emerged as a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.