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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to hit the general market until later this week, however following prerelease weekends this past weekend, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in value.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, the card features Earthbending 1 (arguably the best within the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card is another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the market price has shot up to $49.66 including listings as high as $60. Why are we seeing premium pricing on this adorable card? Mainly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

As it hits the board, this creature converts a land so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, while it remains on the board, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — plus any creatures in your control that generate mana.

An ideal partner to combine with would be the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for G mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks in the game. Another option is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value in comparison.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, you can easily get an enormous pricey threat into play by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling out of control if you keep the pressure on from that point.

When adding another color using this method, options such as Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make all five colors. Additionally, this powerful dryad enables playing an additional land every round plus makes your entire land base so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for any color mana — which covers each creature you have on the board.

The cub could be too strong when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, yet what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer already is this legendary creature. Power and toughness are set by your land count, plus it turns your non-token creatures Forests as well as other subtypes. In other words, every single creature you control can generate two green mana if used for mana.

Another creature is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa is an excellent fit in this deck. One of her abilities causes Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability is essentially an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on a land, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants all of your lands indestructible enabling you to draw out your remaining Forests 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 built around Earthbending. By including red and green, you can use Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, and when he deals combat damage to a player, land creatures become untapped for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the sought-after card in the Avatar set.