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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market in the coming days, however after pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in market worth.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness requiring G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the best within the four bending abilities in the set). The real boon in its design comes from another power: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, the card sold at around $27. Post-prerelease, however, the market price has shot up to $49.66 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. What explains such high costs for this little creature? Mainly because of the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature turns one land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, as long as it stays in play, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — plus any creatures you have that produce resources.

A clear choice for maximum effect is this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 costing two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive threat on the board by round three or four. Momentum builds rapidly with continued aggression from that point.

By incorporating another color in this strategy, options such as versatile mana producers are all great options that can make all five colors. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature allows you to put an additional land each turn plus makes your entire land base so they count as all basics. You can also consider such as this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana grants each permanent you control the ability to produce a mana of any type — which covers all creatures you have on the board.

The cub might seem overpowered when it comes to accelerating your resources, however how do you win with this archetype? An often-seen solution is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness match how many lands you have, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests along with their other types. In other words, every single creature you control can produce double green when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with lots of lands (as with the previous card, P/T are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. Her static effect allows all Forests produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in all earthbend forests produce triple green.) One loyalty ability functions like an early earthbend, adding counters on terrain, handy though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, however, makes your entire land base immune to destruction and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any green Avatar deck built around earthbend. By including red-green, consider Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, and when he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures become untapped for another attack. Even though Bumi is a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be among the top, possibly the popular pick in the collaboration.