🔗 Share this article

the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to get a wider release in the coming days, yet following pre-releases recently, one cheap green card has already exploded in value.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub garnered a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). Its key advantage here comes from its second ability: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, this card could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, though, its value escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed as high as $60. Why are we seeing such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mainly because of the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the battlefield, Badgermole Cub turns a terrain card to a creature land with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it stays in play, those lands generates double mana — in addition to any creatures you have that generate mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with includes Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks available. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature costing two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a massive high-cost threat on the board by round three or four. Momentum builds exponentially by maintaining dominance from that point.

By incorporating an additional hue in this strategy, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that can make any color of mana. Additionally, this powerful dryad lets you play one extra land per turn AND transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. You can also consider something like a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment provides all of your permanents the ability to produce any color mana — even all creatures in play.

The cub could be too strong in terms of boosting mana production, however what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, each creature in play may tap for two G when tapped.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from lots of lands (as with the previous card, its power and toughness are based on your land total).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a staple. Her passive ability allows Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) Her main ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on a land, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, though, grants each land you control unbreakable enabling you to search for every Forest left in your deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it’s pretty much game over.

This card is pretty much essential for all decks using green and Avatar that use earthbend. When branching into red-green, you can use Bumi. He has earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt in combat, land creatures are ready again for another attack. Even though Bumi has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, this small creature will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.