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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, yet due to early access events this past weekend, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, this small creature drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring one green and one colorless mana, the card includes the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the strongest among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon in its design lies in an additional effect: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub was available below $30. Following the early events, however, its value has shot up above $45 and one seller offering for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing such high costs for this cute lil guy? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the board, Badgermole Cub converts a land to a creature land granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it stays in play, each affected land produces twice the mana — along with any creatures on your side that produce resources.

An ideal partner for synergy includes this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that produces a green resource. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks in the game. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 for two mana in comparison.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a very big high-cost creature on the battlefield within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling rapidly by maintaining dominance after that.

When adding a secondary color with this approach, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that can make all five colors. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature enables playing one extra land every round plus turns every land you control providing all land types. You can also consider something like this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana gives every card you own the capacity to produce any color mana — even all creatures under your control.

The cub may be OP regarding accelerating your resources, however what closes out the game in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness match how many lands you have, and it changes all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, each creature you control can generate two green mana if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body which gains from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a staple. Her static effect makes all Forests produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, so each one yield three G.) Her plus ability functions like a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, makes all of your lands unbreakable and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests from your library. Once you trigger that ability, it almost certainly the game ends.

The cub is pretty much essential in any green Avatar deck focusing on Earthbending. By including Gruul colors, consider Bumi. He has level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player to a player, land creatures are ready again and can attack again. Although this card is a fan favorite Commander, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the sought-after card from this expansion.