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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar will not hit the general market until later this week, however after pre-releases recently, one cheap green card experienced a surge in value.

Even during previews, this small creature drew significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features Earthbending 1 (possibly the most effective of the elemental mechanics available). The major perk in its design lies in its second ability: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, the card sold for $26.98. Following the early events, yet, the going rate jumped to nearly $50 including listings for sale at $60.00. The reason for Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly due to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

As it hits play, the cub transforms a land so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it stays in play, those lands generates double mana — plus mana-producing creatures on your side which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy would be Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. But many alternative mana dorks available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get an enormous pricey creature on the battlefield early in the game. And things just keep spiraling exponentially with continued aggression from there.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that can make all five colors. Another card, this powerful dryad lets you play one extra land every round as well as makes every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the capacity to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers any creature in play.

Badgermole Cub could be too strong in terms of boosting mana production, yet what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? An often-seen solution has been Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, and it makes your non-token creatures into Forests as well as their original types. This means, all your creatures on your board may produce double green by tapping.

Another creature is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its stats match your land total).

Nissa fits really well as a staple. One of her abilities causes Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, so all earthbend forests yield three G.) One loyalty ability functions like a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, which is great but it isn't redundant with earthbending. Her ultimate, though, makes your entire land base indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests from your library. Should you manage to use that ability, it almost certainly the game ends.

The cub is pretty much essential in any green Avatar deck built around Earthbending. If you dip into red-green, you can use Bumi. He has level 4 earthbending, and when damage is dealt to an opponent, land creatures become untapped for another attack. Although this card has become a popular Commander choice, the cub is definitely going to remain among the top, possibly the sought-after card in the Avatar set.