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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to become widely available in the coming days, yet following prerelease weekends this past weekend, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in value.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub attracted widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring a single green and one generic mana, the card has level 1 earthbending (arguably the strongest within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk in its design lies in another power: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub was available for $26.98. Following the early events, yet, the going rate jumped above $45 with at least one listed as high as $60. What explains premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it can produce.

When it arrives the board, Badgermole Cub transforms a terrain card to a creature land granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it is not removed, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to any creatures you have that produce resources.

The obvious go-to for synergy would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. However numerous creatures that make mana available. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get an enormous and very expensive creature into play within a few turns. The situation escalates rapidly if you keep the pressure on after that.

If you dip into another color in this strategy, cards like versatile mana producers are excellent picks that generate all five colors. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature allows you to put another terrain each turn as well as makes every land you control into every basic land type. Another possibility is such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment grants all of your permanents the capacity to produce a mana of any type — which covers any creature under your control.

This card might seem overpowered regarding ramping up your mana generation, yet what closes out the game for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer has been this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are set by your land count, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests in addition to their other types. This means, every single creature on your board is able to generate two green mana by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, its stats match how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit in this deck. One of her abilities allows all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability functions like a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbending. Her ultimate, however, grants your entire land base indestructible and lets you draw out all the remaining forests in the deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

This card is nearly mandatory in any green Avatar deck focusing on the earthbend mechanic. By including red-green, consider Bumi. This card features earthbend 4, plus if damage is dealt in combat, each animated land become untapped and can attack again. While that version is a popular Commander choice, this small creature is definitely going to remain among the top, possibly the desired card in the collaboration.