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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, yet following pre-releases over the last few days, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in market worth.

Even during previews, this small creature attracted significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness that costs G and 1 mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk with this card comes from an additional effect: If mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

Initially, the card was available below $30. Post-prerelease, yet, the market price escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed as high as $60. What explains Vivi prices on this adorable card? Primarily because of the rapid resource generation it enables.

When it arrives the battlefield, Badgermole Cub transforms one land into a creature granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, as long as it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — along with mana-producing creatures in your control that generate mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect is the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate a green resource. However many other mana generation creatures in the game. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive monster on the board within a few turns. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance after that.

If you dip into a secondary color with this approach, cards like versatile mana producers are all great options which produce any mana color. Another card, this powerful dryad allows you to put another terrain each turn AND transforms all of your lands so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — which covers each creature under your control.

The cub could be too strong in terms of ramping up your mana generation, yet how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Power and toughness are both equal to your land count, and it makes your non-token creatures into Forests as well as their original types. This means, every single creature in play is able to tap for two G when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from a high land count (similar to Ashaya, P/T are based on how many lands you have).

Nissa works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. Her static effect makes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, that means those lands produce triple green.) Her plus ability is essentially a form of land animation, adding counters to a noncreature land, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbending. Her -8 ability, however, renders your entire land base indestructible and allows you to draw out your remaining Forests in your deck. If you can actually activate the ultimate, it’s pretty much game over.

This card is nearly mandatory for any kind of green Avatar deck built around earthbend. If you dip into Gruul colors, you can use Bumi. This card features earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt in combat, each animated land are ready again for another attack. While that version has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain among the top, possibly the popular pick in the collaboration.