One of the Avatar-themed cutest Magic cards proves to be a formidable compact force.
MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t get a wider release before the end of the week, yet after pre-releases over the last few days, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in price.
From the initial reveals, this small creature garnered widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring a single green and one generic mana, it has level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk in its design lies in its second ability: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.
Initially, Badgermole Cub sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the market price jumped above $45 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly because of the explosive mana ramping it can produce.
Upon entering the battlefield, Badgermole Cub converts a terrain card to a creature land granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, if it remains on the board, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to any creatures you have that produce resources.
A clear choice for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for G mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.
Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, you may quickly play a massive high-cost creature on the board early in the game. And things just keep spiraling out of control with continued aggression after that.
When adding a secondary color in this strategy, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that generate all five colors. And something like this powerful dryad lets you play an additional land per turn plus turns your entire land base providing all land types. You can also consider something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives every card you own the ability to tap and generate any color mana — including all creatures you have on the board.
The cub could be too strong when it comes to accelerating your resources, but what closes out the game for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are both equal to your land count, and it makes your non-token creatures Forests along with their other types. In other words, every single creature on your board can tap for two G when tapped.
Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with many terrain cards (as with the previous card, its stats are based on the number of lands you control).
This Planeswalker is an excellent fit as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities makes every Forest generate an additional green mana. (If you have the cub, that means those lands yield three G.) Her plus ability functions like a form of land animation, placing counters on a land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. Her ultimate, though, grants your entire land base immune to destruction enabling you to draw out all the remaining forests in the deck. If you can actually activate that ability, it’s pretty much game over.
Badgermole Cub is a must-have for all green-based Avatar strategies that use Earthbending. By including red and green, there’s this legendary card. This card features level 4 earthbending, plus if he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures are ready again and can attack again. Although this card has become a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the popular pick in the collaboration.