🔗 Share this article A standout from the Avatar-themed most adorable Magic cards proves to be a formidable compact force. MTG’s collaboration with Avatar will not get a wider release in the coming days, however due to prerelease weekends recently, one cheap green card experienced a surge in market worth. Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature garnered widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective among the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card comes from an additional effect: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana. When first listed, the card was available for $26.98. Following the early events, yet, its value escalated above $45 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing premium pricing on this adorable card? Mainly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides. As it hits the battlefield, Badgermole Cub turns one land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures in your control which tap for mana. A clear choice for synergy includes Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. Yet numerous other mana generation creatures available. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 for two mana as an alternative. Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a very big pricey creature into play by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling rapidly if you keep the pressure on from that point. When adding another color with this approach, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that can make all five colors. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play an additional land per turn AND turns every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying such as a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides each permanent you control the power to be tapped for any color mana — even all creatures in play. This card might seem overpowered when it comes to accelerating your resources, however what closes out the game for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer has been this legendary creature. Its stats are set by the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests along with their other types. This means, all your creatures in play can produce double green when tapped. Another creature is a costly, large threat that benefits from a high land count (as with the previous card, its power and toughness are equal to the number of lands you control). Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities allows all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in each one yield three G.) Her main ability acts as an early earthbend, placing counters on a land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. The minus ability, however, renders all of your lands immune to destruction and lets you draw out all the remaining forests from your library. If you can actually activate that ability, it’s pretty much the game ends. Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. When branching into red-green, you can use Bumi Unleashed. He has level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player in combat, all land creatures are ready again for another attack. Although this card has become a fan favorite Commander, this small creature is set to be one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.