Among Avatar's cutest collectible cards proves to be a nasty little contender.
Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion will not become widely available in the coming days, however following prerelease weekends recently, one cheap green card has already exploded in price.
From the initial reveals, this small creature garnered significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, the card includes level 1 earthbending (perhaps the best within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage here is another power: Each time you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.
Initially, the card was available for $26.98. Post-prerelease, though, the going rate jumped to $49.66 and one seller offering as high as $60. What explains Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mainly thanks to the rapid resource generation it can produce.
Upon entering play, the cub transforms a terrain card so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, while it stays in play, those lands generates double mana — plus other creatures on your side that produce resources.
The obvious go-to for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for one green mana. However there are plenty of alternative mana dorks in the game. Another option is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value instead.
Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive pricey monster on the board within a few turns. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance after that.
If you dip into a secondary color in this strategy, examples including versatile mana producers are all great options that generate all five colors. Additionally, this powerful dryad allows you to put another terrain each turn as well as makes all of your lands providing all land types. It's also worth trying for example this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana provides all of your permanents the power to produce any color mana — even any creature you have on the board.
Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered in terms of accelerating your resources, however how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer already is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests as well as other subtypes. Essentially, every single creature in play can produce double green when tapped.
Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body which gains from many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).
Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability makes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, that means each one produce triple green.) Her plus ability functions like an early earthbend, adding counters on a land, handy though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. The minus ability, however, renders each land you control indestructible and allows you to draw out your remaining Forests in your deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it’s pretty much the game ends.
The cub is a must-have for any kind of green Avatar deck focusing on earthbend. If you dip into red-green, consider this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, plus if damage is dealt to a player, all land creatures become untapped and can attack again. Although this card has become a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the desired card from this expansion.