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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, yet following early access events recently, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in market worth.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub garnered widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, Badgermole Cub features Earthbending 1 (arguably the strongest within the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk here is an additional effect: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, this card was available at around $27. After the pre-release weekend, though, the going rate jumped above $45 including listings priced at sixty dollars. The reason for such high costs on this adorable card? Primarily thanks to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

As it hits play, this creature turns a land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, if it remains on the board, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — plus other creatures in your control which tap for mana.

An ideal partner for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate one green mana. Yet many alternative mana dorks in the game. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous pricey monster on the board early in the game. Momentum builds exponentially with continued aggression from there.

By incorporating an additional hue with this approach, options such as these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that can make all five colors. Another card, this powerful dryad lets you play another terrain every round as well as makes your entire land base providing all land types. Another possibility is for example a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — which covers all creatures you have on the board.

The cub might seem overpowered regarding ramping up your mana generation, but what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice is this legendary creature. Its stats are set by the number of lands you control, plus it turns all of your nontoken creatures into Forests in addition to their other types. In other words, each creature in play can tap for two G when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness match your land total).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a staple. Her passive ability causes Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, so those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability is essentially a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, renders each land you control immune to destruction and allows you to draw out every Forest left in your deck. If you can actually activate the ultimate, this typically means game over.

This card is a must-have for all green Avatar deck that use earthbend. If you dip into red and green, consider this legendary card. This card features level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player to an opponent, all land creatures are ready again for another attack. While that version is a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain among the top, possibly the desired card from this expansion.