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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market in the coming days, however due to pre-releases over the last few days, one cheap green card experienced a surge in value.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub garnered widespread focus. A 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, it includes Earthbending 1 (perhaps the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage here lies in an additional effect: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, the card was available for $26.98. Following the early events, however, its value escalated above $45 including listings as high as $60. The reason for Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Primarily because of the explosive mana ramping it enables.

Upon entering play, this creature converts one land into a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it remains on the board, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to any creatures in your control which tap for mana.

An ideal partner for synergy includes Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces one green mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks in the game. Another option costs a bit more a 1/3 creature for two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a very big high-cost creature on the battlefield within a few turns. Momentum builds out of control if you keep the pressure on after that.

By incorporating a secondary color with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that can make any mana color. And something like a useful enchantment creature allows you to put one extra land each turn plus makes all of your lands so they count as all basics. You can also consider such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives every card you own the capacity to tap and generate one mana of any color — even all creatures you have on the board.

This card might seem overpowered when it comes to boosting mana production, however how do you win with this archetype? A common and powerful choice is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are set by your land count, plus it turns your non-token creatures into Forests along with other subtypes. Essentially, every single creature in play can generate two green mana when tapped.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its power and toughness are based on the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker works perfectly in this deck. One of her abilities causes every Forest produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means those lands yield three G.) Her main ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her -8 ability, however, grants each land you control indestructible and allows you to draw out your remaining Forests in your deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly the game ends.

The cub is nearly mandatory in any green Avatar deck focusing on Earthbending. If you dip into red-green, you can use this legendary card. This card features earthbend 4, plus if he deals combat damage in combat, all land creatures untap and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.