Among the Avatar-themed cutest collectible cards is a nasty little force.

the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion won’t get a wider release before the end of the week, but due to pre-releases recently, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in value.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at one green and one colorless mana, it has level 1 earthbending (perhaps the best of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk in its design lies in another power: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, yet, its value has shot up to $49.66 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

When it arrives the board, this creature converts a land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, while it is not removed, those lands produces twice the mana — along with other creatures on your side that produce resources.

A clear choice for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate a green resource. But there are plenty of other mana generation creatures out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature costing two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive monster into play early in the game. And things just keep spiraling rapidly by maintaining dominance from there.

By incorporating another color in this strategy, options such as Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly which produce any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play one extra land per turn AND turns all of your lands so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying such as this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana grants every card you own the ability to be tapped for one mana of any color — including any creature in play.

The cub might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, however what closes out the game in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer already is this legendary creature. Power and toughness are both equal to how many lands you have, plus it turns your non-token creatures into Forests as well as other subtypes. Essentially, all your creatures on your board may tap for two G if used for mana.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with lots of lands (as with the previous card, its stats match the number of lands you control).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability makes Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) Her plus ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on a land, a useful effect but does not overlap with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, though, renders all of your lands immune to destruction enabling you to draw out your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory for all green Avatar deck built around earthbend. By including Gruul colors, consider Bumi. This card features earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt in combat, land creatures are ready again and can attack again. Even though Bumi is a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.

Marco Bauer
Marco Bauer

Elara is a passionate interior designer and blogger, sharing her expertise on home styling and sustainable living.