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MTG’s special Avatar expansion will not get a wider release before the end of the week, however following pre-releases over the last few days, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in value.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, Badgermole Cub features Earthbending 1 (perhaps the strongest among the elemental mechanics available). The major perk here comes from its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, the card could be purchased at around $27. Post-prerelease, however, its value escalated above $45 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. The reason for Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mainly because of the rapid resource generation it provides.

As it hits play, Badgermole Cub turns a terrain card so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it is not removed, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — along with mana-producing creatures you have that generate mana.

A clear choice to combine with would be Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for a green resource. But many alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature costing two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon an enormous and very expensive monster on the board early in the game. Momentum builds rapidly with continued aggression after that.

If you dip into an additional hue in this strategy, options such as versatile mana producers are all great options which produce any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play another terrain each turn as well as turns all of your lands into every basic land type. It's also worth trying for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the capacity to produce a mana of any type — even each creature in play.

This card might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice has been Ashaya. Power and toughness are both equal to how many lands you have, and it makes all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests along with other subtypes. Essentially, all your creatures on your board can generate two green mana when tapped.

This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, P/T are equal to how many lands you have).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a staple. One of her abilities makes all Forests tap for one more G. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means those lands yield three G.) One loyalty ability acts as an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, which is great but it isn't redundant with earthbend. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, grants all of your lands immune to destruction enabling you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left from your library. Once you trigger that ability, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar focusing on the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into Gruul colors, you can use Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, and when it hits a player to a player, land creatures become untapped and may attack once more. Although this card has become a popular Commander choice, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the collaboration.