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MTG’s Avatar crossover set won’t become widely available until later this week, but after early access events recently, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in value.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub garnered significant interest. A 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk here lies in another power: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, the card sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the market price has shot up above $45 and one seller offering as high as $60. The reason for premium pricing for this little creature? Mainly thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it enables.

As it hits play, Badgermole Cub turns a land to a creature land with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, while it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — along with any creatures in your control that generate mana.

The obvious go-to for synergy includes Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for a green resource. But numerous other mana generation creatures available. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you may quickly play a very big and very expensive threat on the battlefield early in the game. Momentum builds rapidly if you keep the pressure on from that point.

By incorporating another color with this approach, cards like versatile mana producers are all great options that can make any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play another terrain each turn plus transforms your entire land base so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides all of your permanents the capacity to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers each creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered regarding accelerating your resources, yet what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to how many lands you have, plus it turns each creature you own Forests in addition to their other types. This means, each creature in play may produce double green if used for mana.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from lots of lands (as with the previous card, its power and toughness match the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit as a staple. Her static effect makes Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (If you have the cub, that means each one yield three G.) Her main ability acts as an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, renders all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to search for every Forest left in your deck. If you can actually activate that ability, it’s pretty much you win.

This card is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar built around earthbend. If you dip into red-green, consider Bumi Unleashed. It possesses level 4 earthbending, plus if damage is dealt to a player, all land creatures untap and can attack again. Although this card has become a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card in the collaboration.