One of Avatar's cutest collectible cards is a powerful little force.
MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t get a wider release until later this week, but following prerelease weekends this past weekend, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in value.
From the initial reveals, this small creature drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, the card has level 1 earthbending (arguably the strongest within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage in its design lies in an additional effect: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.
When first listed, this card was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, however, its value escalated to nearly $50 and one seller offering for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.
As it hits play, the cub converts a terrain card into a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it remains on the board, each affected land generates double mana — plus mana-producing creatures on your side that generate mana.
A clear choice for maximum effect would be Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. However there are plenty of creatures that make mana in the game. Another option is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.
Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous and very expensive creature on the board within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling out of control with continued aggression from there.
If you dip into an additional hue using this method, cards like these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly which produce any mana color. And something like this powerful dryad lets you play another terrain every round as well as transforms all of your lands into every basic land type. Another possibility is such as this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana provides all of your permanents the ability to be tapped for any color mana — which covers each creature you have on the board.
Badgermole Cub could be too strong when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, yet what closes out the game for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness are both equal to your land count, and it makes your non-token creatures Forests along with other subtypes. This means, all your creatures on your board can tap for two G if used for mana.
Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from lots of lands (as with the previous card, P/T match your land total).
This Planeswalker works perfectly in this deck. Her static effect causes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as a proto-earthbend, placing counters on terrain, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbending. Her -8 ability, though, grants each land you control indestructible enabling you to draw out your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use this power, it almost certainly you win.
Badgermole Cub is a must-have in any green-based Avatar strategies focusing on Earthbending. By including red and green, you can use Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, and if he deals combat damage to a player, land creatures untap for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card from this expansion.
