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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, but due to prerelease weekends over the last few days, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub drew significant interest. A 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (possibly the strongest among the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card lies in another power: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, this card sold for $26.98. Following the early events, yet, the going rate jumped above $45 and one seller offering for sale at $60.00. The reason for premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Primarily because of the explosive mana ramping it provides.

Upon entering the board, Badgermole Cub transforms a terrain card so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, if it remains on the board, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to other creatures you have that produce resources.

The obvious go-to for synergy would be Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for one green mana. Yet numerous creatures that make mana available. This particular druid costs a bit more a 1/3 creature for two mana in comparison.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, it's simple to summon an enormous high-cost creature into play within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling rapidly by maintaining dominance after that.

If you dip into another color in this strategy, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that generate any color of mana. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put one extra land per turn AND transforms every land you control so they count as all basics. You can also consider for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants each permanent you control the power to produce a mana of any type — even all creatures under your control.

The cub could be too strong when it comes to accelerating your resources, yet how do you win for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya. Power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it makes your non-token creatures Forests as well as their other types. In other words, every single creature on your board may tap for two G by tapping.

Another creature is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (as with the previous card, its stats are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa works perfectly as a staple. One of her abilities allows Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (Combined with earthbend, that means all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability functions like a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants all of your lands indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in the deck. If you can actually activate the ultimate, it’s pretty much game over.

The cub is pretty much essential in any decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. By including Gruul colors, consider Bumi Unleashed. This card features earthbend 4, and if it hits a player in combat, land creatures become untapped and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.