A standout from Avatar's most adorable Magic cards is a nasty little powerhouse.
MTG’s collaboration with Avatar won’t hit the general market in the coming days, however after early access events recently, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.
From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features Earthbending 1 (perhaps the strongest of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk with this card is its second ability: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.
Initially, Badgermole Cub was available for $26.98. Following the early events, though, the market price jumped above $45 and one seller offering as high as $60. The reason for such high costs on this adorable card? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.
Upon entering the board, Badgermole Cub converts one land into a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, each affected land produces twice the mana — plus mana-producing creatures you have that generate mana.
An ideal partner for synergy includes this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate a green resource. But many creatures that make mana available. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value instead.
Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive creature on the battlefield early in the game. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance from there.
If you dip into a secondary color using this method, options such as Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that can make any mana color. Additionally, this powerful dryad allows you to put an additional land every round AND turns every land you control providing all land types. Another possibility is something like a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides every card you own the power to produce a mana of any type — even each creature you have on the board.
This card may be OP in terms of ramping up your mana generation, yet what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer has been this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it makes each creature you own Forests in addition to other subtypes. Essentially, every single creature you control may produce double green by tapping.
This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its stats are equal to the number of lands you control).
Nissa works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. Her static effect causes Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means each one produce triple green.) Her plus ability functions like an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, handy but it isn't redundant with earthbending. Her ultimate, however, grants all of your lands indestructible and lets you draw out your remaining Forests in the deck. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly the game ends.
This card is nearly mandatory in any green-based Avatar strategies focusing on the earthbend mechanic. When branching into red-green, you can use this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, plus if he deals combat damage to a player, all land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. Even though Bumi is a fan favorite Commander, this small creature is set to be among the top, possibly the popular pick in the collaboration.