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the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to hit the general market until later this week, but following prerelease weekends recently, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in value.

Even during previews, this small creature attracted significant interest. A 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, it includes the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). The real boon here is another power: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, yet, its value escalated above $45 with at least one listed as high as $60. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Primarily due to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

When it arrives the board, Badgermole Cub converts a terrain card so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, if it is not removed, each affected land generates double mana — plus any creatures on your side that generate mana.

A clear choice for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. But many creatures that make mana available. Another option is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon an enormous high-cost monster on the battlefield within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling rapidly with continued aggression from there.

By incorporating a secondary color with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make any color of mana. Additionally, this powerful dryad enables playing another terrain each turn as well as transforms every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives all of your permanents the power to be tapped for a mana of any type — even all creatures in play.

The cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win for a deck like this? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it makes your non-token creatures to be Forests along with their other types. This means, every single creature in play can tap for two G by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from lots of lands (as with the previous card, its power and toughness are based on the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability makes Forest lands produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in those lands generate three green mana.) Her plus ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, adding counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, though, makes your entire land base immune to destruction enabling you to draw out all the remaining forests in your deck. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

This card is nearly mandatory for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies focusing on Earthbending. When branching into red-green, you can use this legendary card. This card features earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt in combat, each animated land are ready again and can attack again. Even though Bumi has emerged as a popular Commander choice, this small creature is set to be one of, if not the most popular pick in the Avatar set.