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MTG’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to become widely available in the coming days, however after early access events this past weekend, one cheap green card has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub garnered a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has level 1 earthbending (arguably the best among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage in its design comes from an additional effect: Each time you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub was available below $30. Following the early events, however, the market price escalated to nearly $50 including listings for sale at $60.00. The reason for premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Primarily due to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

As it hits the board, this creature turns one land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, as long as it is not removed, those lands produces twice the mana — along with any creatures you have which tap for mana.

An ideal partner for synergy includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. Yet many alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid costs a bit more that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value instead.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you may quickly play a very big and very expensive monster on the board within a few turns. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance from there.

When adding another color in this strategy, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options which produce all five colors. Additionally, this powerful dryad lets you play an additional land per turn as well as makes your entire land base providing all land types. You can also consider for example a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides every card you own the capacity to produce a mana of any type — which covers all creatures under your control.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, but what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer already is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests in addition to their original types. This means, all your creatures on your board may generate two green mana by tapping.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that benefits from a high land count (like Ashaya, its stats are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes all Forests generate an additional green mana. (If you have the cub, that means all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability functions like a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, handy but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, however, makes each land you control immune to destruction enabling you to draw out every Forest left from your library. If you can actually activate the ultimate, this typically means game over.

The cub is pretty much essential for all green-based Avatar strategies built around the earthbend mechanic. By including Gruul colors, consider this legendary card. He has level 4 earthbending, and if damage is dealt to an opponent, all land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. Although this card is a beloved leader, the cub is set to be one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.