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MTG’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to hit the general market before the end of the week, but due to prerelease weekends recently, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in price.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the strongest within the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card is an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, the card was available below $30. Following the early events, yet, its value escalated above $45 including listings for sale at $60.00. The reason for Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly because of the rapid resource generation it enables.

When it arrives the board, the cub turns a land into a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it remains on the board, each affected land generates double mana — in addition to any creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy would be Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. However numerous creatures that make mana out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value in comparison.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a very big high-cost monster on the battlefield within a few turns. Momentum builds rapidly with continued aggression from there.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly which produce all five colors. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing an additional land per turn AND transforms all of your lands into every basic land type. Another possibility is such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants each permanent you control the ability to produce one mana of any color — which covers each creature you have on the board.

The cub might seem overpowered regarding accelerating your resources, but how do you win for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya. Power and toughness match how many lands you have, and it changes all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, each creature on your board is able to produce double green by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from a high land count (as with the previous card, P/T are equal to your land total).

Nissa works perfectly in this deck. Her passive ability allows Forest lands tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests produce triple green.) One loyalty ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, adding counters on terrain, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. The minus ability, on the other hand, makes your entire land base indestructible and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests from your library. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory for all green Avatar deck built around earthbend. By including red-green, there’s this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt in combat, each animated land become untapped and can attack again. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay among the top, possibly the popular pick in the collaboration.