🔗 Share this article

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to get a wider release in the coming days, but due to early access events this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in value.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub drew widespread focus. A 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card has the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the best among the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk in its design comes from an additional effect: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, the card could be purchased for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the going rate escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing premium pricing on this adorable card? Mostly due to the incredible mana acceleration it enables.

As it hits the board, the cub transforms a terrain card into a creature with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it stays in play, those lands yields two mana instead of one — in addition to mana-producing creatures in your control that produce resources.

An ideal partner for synergy is the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. But many creatures that make mana available. Another option is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature for two mana as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive creature on the battlefield early in the game. Momentum builds rapidly by maintaining dominance from there.

When adding another color using this method, options such as versatile mana producers are all great options that can make any color of mana. Another card, this powerful dryad allows you to put another terrain per turn AND transforms every land you control into every basic land type. It's also worth trying something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives each permanent you control the power to produce any color mana — even each creature you have on the board.

Badgermole Cub may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, yet what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice has been this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to your land count, and it changes all of your nontoken creatures into Forests along with their original types. Essentially, every single creature in play is able to generate two green mana by tapping.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, P/T match how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability causes all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means those lands generate three green mana.) Her main ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters on terrain, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, on the other hand, renders your entire land base unbreakable enabling you to draw out all the remaining forests in the deck. Once you trigger this power, it almost certainly game over.

This card is a must-have for any kind of decks using green and Avatar that use Earthbending. When branching into red and green, consider this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player to an opponent, all land creatures become untapped for another attack. Even though Bumi is a beloved leader, this small creature will surely stay one of, if not the most popular pick from this expansion.