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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set won’t hit the general market in the coming days, however following pre-releases over the last few days, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in value.

Even during previews, this small creature drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub includes level 1 earthbending (perhaps the best among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card is another power: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, yet, the going rate jumped above $45 with at least one listed as high as $60. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mostly because of the incredible mana acceleration it enables.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature turns a land into a creature granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, as long as it is not removed, each affected land generates double mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures in your control that generate mana.

An ideal partner to combine with includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that produces one green mana. Yet numerous alternative mana dorks available. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 for two mana instead.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you may quickly play a very big pricey monster into play by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling rapidly by maintaining dominance from that point.

By incorporating an additional hue in this strategy, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options which produce any mana color. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain per turn as well as transforms all of your lands into every basic land type. Another possibility is for example a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives each permanent you control the ability to produce one mana of any color — including all creatures under your control.

This card could be too strong in terms of accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it makes each creature you own to be Forests along with other subtypes. This means, all your creatures on your board can tap for two G when tapped.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its stats match the number of lands you control).

Nissa works perfectly in this deck. Her static effect makes every Forest produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means each one yield three G.) One loyalty ability functions like a form of land animation, placing counters to a noncreature land, which is great though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, renders each land you control indestructible and lets you put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests from your library. Once you trigger that ability, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all green Avatar deck that use earthbend. If you dip into red-green, there’s this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and when he deals combat damage to an opponent, each animated land untap and can attack again. Even though Bumi has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.