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MTG’s Avatar crossover set will not get a wider release until later this week, but due to prerelease weekends over the last few days, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in market worth.

Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature attracted widespread focus. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card features the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). Its key advantage with this card lies in another power: Each time you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub could be purchased at around $27. After the pre-release weekend, yet, its value has shot up to $49.66 including listings priced at sixty dollars. What explains premium pricing for this little creature? Mostly due to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

As it hits play, the cub turns a land to a creature land granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it is not removed, each affected land produces twice the mana — along with other creatures you have that produce resources.

A clear choice to combine with includes Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate G mana. But many other mana generation creatures available. Another option is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value in comparison.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous pricey threat on the battlefield early in the game. Momentum builds out of control by maintaining dominance from there.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, examples including versatile mana producers work perfectly which produce any color of mana. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature allows you to put another terrain per turn as well as transforms every land you control into every basic land type. It's also worth trying such as this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment gives all of your permanents the capacity to tap and generate a mana of any type — even any creature in play.

This card might seem overpowered in terms of boosting mana production, yet what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? An often-seen solution is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures into Forests along with their original types. This means, each creature you control can tap for two G by tapping.

This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its stats are based on the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit in this deck. Her static effect causes every Forest produce extra green. (If you have the cub, this results in those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, handy but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, renders each land you control unbreakable enabling you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in your deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it’s pretty much the game ends.

The cub is a must-have for any kind of green Avatar deck that use the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red-green, consider this legendary card. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player to an opponent, each animated land are ready again and may attack once more. While that version has become a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the collaboration.