A standout from Avatar's cutest Magic cards is a powerful little powerhouse.

MTG’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, yet following pre-releases over the last few days, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.

From the initial reveals, this small creature garnered widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness that costs a single green and one generic mana, it features the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the best among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card comes from another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, the card sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, though, its value escalated to nearly $50 and one seller offering for sale at $60.00. What explains Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly due to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

Upon entering the board, this creature transforms a land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it stays in play, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — in addition to other creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice to combine with would be the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate G mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you can easily get an enormous pricey threat into play by round three or four. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance from that point.

By incorporating an additional hue using this method, options such as versatile mana producers work perfectly that can make any color of mana. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing an additional land each turn AND transforms all of your lands into every basic land type. It's also worth trying such as this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment provides every card you own the capacity to tap and generate one mana of any color — including any creature you have on the board.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered regarding ramping up your mana generation, however what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer is 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 other types. In other words, each creature on your board can produce double green if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to your land total).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly in this deck. One of her abilities causes Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, that means all earthbend forests yield three G.) Her plus ability is essentially a form of land animation, placing counters on a land, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, though, renders each land you control indestructible and allows you to search for your remaining Forests from your library. Should you manage to use this power, this typically means you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all green Avatar deck that use the earthbend mechanic. When branching into red-green, consider Bumi. This card features level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player to a player, land creatures untap and can attack again. Although this card has become a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the collaboration.

Kristin Flores
Kristin Flores

A passionate poker strategist with over a decade of experience in competitive tournaments and coaching.