🔗 Share this article

the popular card game’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to become widely available until later this week, yet due to pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in market worth.

From the initial reveals, this small creature garnered widespread focus. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, it features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective within the elemental mechanics available). The major perk in its design lies in another power: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, this card sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, though, the market price escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed as high as $60. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

Upon entering the board, this creature converts one land so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, as long as it is not removed, each affected land generates double mana — plus any creatures in your control which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy includes this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks out there. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value in comparison.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous and very expensive monster into play by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

By incorporating another color in this strategy, examples including versatile mana producers are excellent picks that generate all five colors. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put one extra land each turn as well as transforms your entire land base providing all land types. Another possibility is something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides all of your permanents the power to produce a mana of any type — which covers any creature under your control.

This card might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, however what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya. Its power and toughness are both equal to how many lands you have, and it changes your non-token creatures into Forests along with their other types. This means, each creature on your board may generate two green mana when tapped.

Another creature is a costly, large threat that thrives with a high land count (as with the previous card, P/T match how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability makes Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in those lands yield three G.) One loyalty ability is essentially a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters on a land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, though, grants all of your lands indestructible enabling you to search for every Forest left in the deck. If you can actually activate that ability, it almost certainly you win.

The cub is pretty much essential in any green-based Avatar strategies that use the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red-green, consider Bumi. He has earthbend 4, plus if he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures become untapped for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a fan favorite Commander, the cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most popular pick from this expansion.