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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set will not get a wider release before the end of the week, yet following prerelease weekends this past weekend, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in market worth.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub drew a lot of attention. A 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has level 1 earthbending (possibly the best of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card comes from its second ability: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, this card was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, yet, its value jumped above $45 including listings priced at sixty dollars. What explains Vivi prices on this adorable card? Primarily thanks to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

As it hits the battlefield, the cub transforms one land so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, if it remains on the board, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — plus any creatures in your control which tap for mana.

An ideal partner to combine with is this one-mana elf, a cheap 1/1 that produces G mana. But numerous other mana generation creatures in the game. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a very big high-cost threat into play by round three or four. Momentum builds rapidly by maintaining dominance from that point.

By incorporating a secondary color with this approach, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that generate all five colors. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature enables playing one extra land each turn plus transforms your entire land base providing all land types. Another possibility is for example this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment provides all of your permanents the ability to be tapped for any color mana — even any creature under your control.

The cub could be too strong in terms of ramping up your mana generation, but what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice already is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are set by how many lands you have, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests as well as their original types. Essentially, all your creatures on your board may tap for two G when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its stats are equal to your land total).

This Planeswalker works perfectly in this deck. Her static effect causes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as an early earthbend, placing counters on a land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her -8 ability, however, grants all of your lands immune to destruction and lets you search for every Forest left from your library. If you can actually activate the ultimate, this typically means the game ends.

The cub is nearly mandatory for any kind of green Avatar deck that use the earthbend mechanic. By including red-green, there’s this legendary card. This card features level 4 earthbending, and when he deals combat damage in combat, all land creatures are ready again for another attack. Although this card has become a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.