Badgermole Cub is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
When this creature enters, earthbend 1. (Target land you control becomes a 0/0 creature with haste that's still a land. Put a +1/+1 counter on it. When it dies or is exiled, return it to the battlefield tapped.) Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional.
Complete guide
Badgermole Cub is an adorable addition to green decks that brings the power of the earth to your side of the battlefield. By using the new earthbend mechanic, it allows you to animate your lands and generate explosive amounts of mana. This guide will walk you through the specifics of turning your lands into resilient threats.
What is Earthbend?
When Badgermole Cub enters the battlefield, you perform earthbend 1. This means you target a land you control and it becomes a 0/0 creature with haste that is still a land, and you place one +1/+1 counter on it. The most unique part of this ability is its resilience: if that land creature dies or is exiled, it immediately returns to the battlefield tapped under your control. This makes your animated lands very difficult for opponents to permanently remove.
Boosting Your Mana Production
Beyond animating lands, Badgermole Cub has a triggered mana ability. Whenever you tap a creature for mana, you add an additional {G} to your mana pool. Because this is a mana ability, it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to by your opponents. Note that this only works if you activate a mana ability of a creature that includes the tap symbol ({T}) in its cost. If you tap a creature to pay for a different object's ability, this cub won't grant the extra mana.
Timing and Targeting
Earthbend requires a target land you control as the ability is put on the stack. If the land is destroyed or becomes an illegal target before the ability resolves, the earthbend effect does nothing. Once it resolves, the land keeps all its previous types; for example, a Forest turned into a creature can still tap for {G} using its intrinsic mana ability. Since the land gains haste from earthbend, you can even attack with it or tap it for mana the same turn you played it!
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is thinking earthbend works if the land is returned to your hand or shuffled into your library. The insurance ability only triggers if the land goes to the graveyard (dies) or exile. If a land creature created by earthbend is bounced back to your hand, it stays in your hand. Additionally, remember that the land returns to the battlefield tapped, so you won't be able to use it again immediately for mana or blocking.
Interaction examples
Llanowar ElvesWith Badgermole Cub on the battlefield, you tap Llanowar Elves for its mana ability. Because the Elves' ability includes the {T} symbol and adds mana, the Cub's ability triggers. You receive {G} from the Elves and an additional {G} from the Cub, totaling two green mana from a single creature tap.
Birds of ParadiseYou have Badgermole Cub in play and tap Birds of Paradise for {U}. The Cub recognizes you tapped a creature for mana and adds one {G} to your mana pool. You now have {U}{G} available to spend, effectively doubling the mana output of your Birds of Paradise.
When Badgermole Cub enters the battlefield, you target a basic Forest you control. The Forest becomes a 1/1 creature (a 0/0 with one +1/+1 counter) with haste. Because it is now a creature, if you tap it for its own {G} mana ability, the Cub's second ability triggers, and the Forest produces a total of {G}{G}.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Badgermole Cub
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Badgermole Cub's last ability is a triggered mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The land will retain any other types, subtypes, or supertypes it previously had. It will also retain any mana abilities it had as a result of those subtypes. For example, a Forest that's turned into a creature this way can still be tapped for
.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You may target a land that is already a creature, perhaps because of a previous earthbend ability. The land will get the +1/+1 counters, gain haste, and have its base power and toughness set to 0/0.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If a land was animated by earthbend and would go to any zone other than the graveyard or exile, it will not be returned to the battlefield by the delayed triggered ability created by earthbend.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers "whenever you tap a creature for mana" triggers only if you activate a mana ability of a creature including
in its cost. Mana abilities that don't include the symbol and instead say "Tap an untapped creature you control" or similar won't cause Badgermole Cub's second ability to trigger. Similarly, it won't trigger if you tap a creature to activate a mana ability of another object (even if that mana ability also includes ).No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If the targeted land becomes an illegal target before the spell or ability that includes earthbend resolves, earthbend does nothing. If the spell or ability didn't have other targets, it won't resolve.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Earthbend doesn't give the land you control a color. As most lands are colorless, in most cases the resulting land creature will also be colorless.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
"Earthbend N" means "Target land you control becomes a 0/0 land creature with haste in addition to its other types. Put N +1/+1 counters on it. When it dies or is exiled, return it to the battlefield tapped under your control."
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild + Sylvan Safekeeper + Badgermole Cub
- 1Cast Badgermole Cub by paying its mana cost
- 2When Badgermole Cub enters, its earthbend ability triggers, causing it to earthbend itself as it is a Forest due to Ashaya.
- 3Activate Sylvan Safekeeper by sacrificing Badgermole Cub
- 4When Badgermole Cub dies, it triggers, returning itself from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
- 5When Badgermole Cub enters, its earthbend ability triggers, causing it to earthbend itself as it is a Forest due to Ashaya.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
- 7Resolve all Sylvan Safekeeper abilities.
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild + Zuran Orb + Badgermole Cub
- 1Cast Badgermole Cub by paying its mana cost
- 2When Badgermole Cub enters, its earthbend ability triggers, causing it to earthbend itself as it is a Forest due to Ashaya.
- 3Activate Zuran Orb by sacrificing Badgermole Cub
- 4When Badgermole Cub dies, it triggers, returning itself from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
- 5When Badgermole Cub enters, its earthbend ability triggers, causing it to earthbend itself as it is a Forest due to Ashaya.
- 6Resolve the Zuran Orb ability.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Badgermole Cub + Emiel the Blessed + Gaea's Cradle
- 1Cast Badgermole Cub by paying
. - 2When Badgermole Cub enters, it triggers, earthbending Gaea's Cradle.
- 3Activate Gaea's Cradle by tapping it, adding at least
- 4Badgermole Cub triggers, adding .
- 5Activate Emiel the Blessed by paying
, blinking Gaea's Cradle. - 6Activate Emiel the Blessed by paying , blinking Badgermole Cub.
- 7Repeat from step 2.
Badgermole Cub + Freed from the Real
- 1Cast Badgermole Cub by paying , When it enters, its first ability triggers, earthbending a land that can produce at least
. - 2Cast Freed from the Real by paying its mana cost, attaching it to the earthbent land.
- 3Activate the land by tapping it, adding at least .
- 4Badgermole Cub's second ability triggers, adding .
- 5Activate Freed from the Real by paying , untapping the land.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Badgermole Cub + Pemmin's Aura
- 1Cast Badgermole Cub by paying , When it enters, its first ability triggers, earthbending a land that can produce at least .
- 2Cast Pemmin's Aura by paying its mana cost, attaching it to the earthbent land.
- 3Activate the land by tapping it, adding at least .
- 4Badgermole Cub's second ability triggers, adding .
- 5Activate Pemmin's Aura by paying , untapping the land.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Badgermole Cub + Pili-Pala + Enduring Vitality
- 1Activate Pili-Pala by tapping it, adding .
- 2Badgermole Cub triggers, adding .
- 3Activate Pili-Pala by paying
and untapping it, adding one mana of any color. - 4Repeat.
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild + Ashnod's Altar + Badgermole Cub
- 1Cast Badgermole Cub by paying its mana cost
- 2When Badgermole Cub enters, its earthbend ability triggers, causing it to earthbend itself as it is a Forest due to Ashaya.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Badgermole Cub
- 4When Badgermole Cub dies, it triggers, returning itself from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
- 5When Badgermole Cub enters, its earthbend ability triggers, causing it to earthbend itself as it is a Forest due to Ashaya.
- 6Repeat from step 3.
Badgermole Cub + Pili-Pala + Cryptolith Rite
- 1Activate Pili-Pala by tapping it, adding .
- 2Badgermole Cub triggers, adding .
- 3Activate Pili-Pala by paying and untapping it, adding one mana of any color.
- 4Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Badgermole Cub
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