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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar won’t become widely available in the coming days, however after pre-releases this past weekend, one cheap green card experienced a surge in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub garnered a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, Badgermole Cub includes the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the best of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon with this card comes from another power: Each time you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub was available at around $27. Post-prerelease, yet, the going rate escalated above $45 and one seller offering for sale at $60.00. What explains such high costs for this little creature? Primarily because of the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

Upon entering play, this creature transforms a land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, if it is not removed, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — plus any creatures you have which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that produces one green mana. However numerous alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get an enormous and very expensive threat on the battlefield early in the game. And things just keep spiraling rapidly by maintaining dominance from that point.

If you dip into another color with this approach, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that generate any mana color. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature enables playing another terrain every round AND transforms all of your lands providing all land types. You can also consider something like a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives all of your permanents the capacity to be tapped for any color mana — including any creature you have on the board.

Badgermole Cub could be too strong in terms of boosting mana production, but how do you win in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya. Its stats match how many lands you have, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests along with other subtypes. This means, each creature on your board may produce double green by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to your land total).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a staple. Her static effect causes Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, so each one produce triple green.) One loyalty ability functions like an early earthbend, adding counters on terrain, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, though, grants all of your lands indestructible and lets you search for every Forest left from your library. If you can actually activate that ability, this typically means you win.

The cub is pretty much essential in any green Avatar deck built around earthbend. When branching into red-green, you can use this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt to a player, land creatures are ready again for another attack. Although this card has emerged as a beloved leader, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the sought-after card in the Avatar set.