A standout from Avatar's cutest MTG cards turns out to be a powerful little force.
MTG’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, yet due to pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in value.
Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, the card includes level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective of the elemental mechanics available). The major perk here comes from its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.
At its cheapest, the card could be purchased at around $27. Post-prerelease, yet, the market price escalated to $49.66 including listings for sale at $60.00. What explains Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Primarily due to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.
When it arrives the board, this creature turns a land into a creature that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, if it remains on the board, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — along with any creatures you have that generate mana.
A clear choice for maximum effect would be Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces one green mana. However many alternative mana dorks in the game. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.
Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you can easily get a massive and very expensive threat into play by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling out of control by maintaining dominance from that point.
When adding a secondary color with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that generate any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play another terrain each turn as well as transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives every card you own the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — even all creatures in play.
This card could be too strong regarding boosting mana production, yet how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya. Its stats are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own into Forests in addition to their original types. Essentially, all your creatures you control is able to tap for two G when tapped.
Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its stats are based on your land total).
Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well in this deck. Her static effect allows all Forests generate an additional green mana. (If you have the cub, so each one generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as a proto-earthbend, placing counters on terrain, which is great but does not overlap with earthbend. Her -8 ability, however, grants your entire land base indestructible and lets you put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests in the deck. Once you trigger this power, this typically means you win.
The cub is a must-have for any kind of green Avatar deck built around Earthbending. By including red-green, there’s this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt to an opponent, each animated land are ready again and may attack once more. While that version has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the desired card from this expansion.