A standout from Avatar's most adorable Magic cards turns out to be a formidable compact force.

MTG’s Avatar crossover set will not become widely available in the coming days, but following pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in value.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon here lies in another power: Each time you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. Post-prerelease, though, its value jumped to nearly $50 including listings for sale at $60.00. The reason for such high costs on this adorable card? Mainly thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

When it arrives the board, this creature transforms a terrain card into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it remains on the board, every earthbent land generates double mana — plus mana-producing creatures in your control that produce resources.

A clear choice for maximum effect includes Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that produces one green mana. However numerous creatures that make mana available. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value instead.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you can easily get an enormous high-cost threat on the battlefield by round three or four. The situation escalates exponentially by maintaining dominance from there.

When adding an additional hue using this method, options such as these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that generate any color of mana. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing an additional land per turn as well as makes every land you control so they count as all basics. You can also consider something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides all of your permanents the capacity to produce any color mana — even all creatures under your control.

The cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, yet what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer has been this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to how many lands you have, plus it turns all of your nontoken creatures Forests as well as their other types. Essentially, each creature on your board is able to generate two green mana when tapped.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with lots of lands (like Ashaya, its power and toughness are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability causes Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (Combined with earthbend, this results in those lands produce triple green.) Her plus ability functions like an early earthbend, placing counters on terrain, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, renders each land you control immune to destruction and lets you put onto the battlefield every Forest left from your library. If you can actually activate this power, it’s pretty much the game ends.

The cub is pretty much essential in any green-based Avatar strategies that use earthbend. If you dip into Gruul colors, consider Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, plus if he deals combat damage to a player, each animated land are ready again and may attack once more. Although this card has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.

Briana Garcia
Briana Garcia

An experienced optometrist passionate about educating on eye wellness and innovative vision technologies.