Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, yet after early access events over the last few days, one cheap green card has already exploded in value.
From the initial reveals, this small creature drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, the card features the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the strongest among the elemental mechanics available). The major perk here lies in an additional effect: If you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.
When first listed, the card sold at around $27. After the pre-release weekend, though, the going rate jumped to nearly $50 including listings as high as $60. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this little creature? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it can produce.
Upon entering the board, this creature converts a land into a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, while it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — plus other creatures you have that produce resources.
An ideal partner for maximum effect is Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces one green mana. However numerous creatures that make mana available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value instead.
Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, you may quickly play an enormous pricey creature on the battlefield early in the game. Momentum builds out of control by maintaining dominance from there.
By incorporating a secondary color using this method, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly which produce any color of mana. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing another terrain every round AND transforms every land you control into every basic land type. You can also consider such as this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana provides each permanent you control the capacity to produce a mana of any type — even each creature you have on the board.
This card might seem overpowered regarding accelerating your resources, yet what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer has been Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are set by how many lands you have, and it makes each creature you own Forests in addition to their original types. Essentially, all your creatures you control may produce double green if used for mana.
Another creature is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to how many lands you have).
This Planeswalker fits really well in this deck. Her passive ability allows Forest lands produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one produce triple green.) Her main ability acts as an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, though, renders each land you control unbreakable and allows you to search for all the remaining forests in your deck. If you can actually activate that ability, it almost certainly the game ends.
The cub is a must-have for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies built around Earthbending. If you dip into red and green, there’s Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt in combat, land creatures untap for another attack. Although this card has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cub is set to be one of, if not the most desired card in the Avatar set.
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