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the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set will not become widely available in the coming days, yet following early access events recently, one cheap green card experienced a surge in value.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub drew widespread focus. A 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, it features Earthbending 1 (arguably the strongest of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon in its design lies in its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, however, its value has shot up to $49.66 and one seller offering as high as $60. The reason for such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mostly due to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

As it hits the battlefield, Badgermole Cub transforms one land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, if it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — plus mana-producing creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy is the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for a green resource. Yet many creatures that make mana available. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 for two mana as an alternative.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive high-cost monster on the board early in the game. And things just keep spiraling rapidly by maintaining dominance from there.

If you dip into an additional hue using this method, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that can make all five colors. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put an additional land each turn as well as makes all of your lands providing all land types. It's also worth trying such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — even any creature in play.

This card might seem overpowered regarding accelerating your resources, but what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? An often-seen solution is this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are set by your land count, and it makes your non-token creatures Forests in addition to their original types. In other words, every single creature you control can produce double green if used for mana.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that benefits from a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. Her static effect allows Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, this results in each one produce triple green.) Her plus ability acts as an early earthbend, placing counters to a noncreature land, which is great but does not overlap with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, though, makes your entire land base immune to destruction and lets you draw out every Forest left in your deck. If you can actually activate this power, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is a must-have for all green-based Avatar strategies that use the earthbend mechanic. By including Gruul colors, consider this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, and if it hits a player in combat, each animated land untap and may attack once more. Although this card has emerged as a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most popular pick from this expansion.