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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar will not get a wider release in the coming days, but following pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in value.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub drew widespread focus. A 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, the card includes Earthbending 1 (perhaps the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). Its key advantage with this card is an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

Initially, the card sold at around $27. Post-prerelease, though, its value escalated above $45 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. The reason for such high costs for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives play, this creature transforms one land into a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it remains on the board, every earthbent land generates double mana — along with any creatures you have that produce resources.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect would be the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate one green mana. However numerous creatures that make mana available. Another option is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature for two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you can easily get an enormous pricey monster on the board early in the game. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on after that.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, cards like these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly which produce all five colors. Another card, this powerful dryad enables playing another terrain per turn plus turns every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants every card you own the ability to tap and generate a mana of any type — even all creatures in play.

This card may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, yet what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to how many lands you have, plus it turns all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests along with other subtypes. In other words, each creature on your board can tap for two G by tapping.

Another creature is a costly, large threat that thrives with many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, P/T match your land total).

Nissa fits really well in this deck. Her passive ability makes Forest lands produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability functions like a proto-earthbend, placing counters on a land, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants your entire land base unbreakable and allows you to search for your remaining Forests in your deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly game over.

The cub is a must-have for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies built around the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red-green, there’s Bumi Unleashed. It possesses level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player to an opponent, land creatures are ready again for another attack. Although this card is a fan favorite Commander, the cub will surely stay one of, if not the most sought-after card in the Avatar set.