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MTG’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release in the coming days, but due to pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in value.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub garnered widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub has level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective within the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk with this card lies in an additional effect: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, the card sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, though, its value jumped above $45 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. What explains Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly because of the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

Upon entering the board, Badgermole Cub converts a land into a creature granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it stays in play, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to mana-producing creatures on your side that produce resources.

A clear choice for synergy is the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for a green resource. But many other mana generation creatures available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive threat on the board by round three or four. Momentum builds exponentially by maintaining dominance after that.

By incorporating an additional hue in this strategy, options such as versatile mana producers work perfectly that generate any color of mana. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play one extra land every round AND makes your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment provides every card you own the capacity to tap and generate any color mana — which covers any creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub may be OP when it comes to accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya. Its stats match how many lands you have, plus it turns your non-token creatures Forests in addition to their other types. This means, every single creature you control is able to produce double green by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from a high land count (as with the previous card, P/T are based on your land total).

This Planeswalker fits really well in this deck. Her passive ability causes all Forests produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one produce triple green.) Her main ability acts as an early earthbend, placing counters on terrain, which is great but it isn't redundant with earthbending. Her ultimate, however, grants your entire land base indestructible and allows you to draw out all the remaining forests from your library. Once you trigger the ultimate, it’s pretty much game over.

The cub is nearly mandatory for any kind of decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. When branching into red-green, you can use this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to a player, each animated land are ready again for another attack. Even though Bumi has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, this small creature will surely stay one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.