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the popular card game’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to hit the general market until later this week, however due to early access events this past weekend, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub garnered significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness requiring a single green and one generic mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage here lies in an additional effect: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, the card was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, however, its value jumped to nearly $50 including listings priced at sixty dollars. The reason for such high costs for this little creature? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it can produce.

When it arrives the battlefield, the cub converts one land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — plus other creatures in your control which tap for mana.

An ideal partner for maximum effect is Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for a green resource. However numerous alternative mana dorks out there. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more with stats 1/3 costing two mana instead.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a very big pricey threat into play early in the game. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance after that.

When adding an additional hue in this strategy, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that generate any mana color. Additionally, a useful enchantment creature allows you to put an additional land per turn AND makes your entire land base providing all land types. Another possibility is for example this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana gives each permanent you control the capacity to tap and generate one mana of any color — even each creature you have on the board.

This card might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, yet how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness are set by your land count, and it makes each creature you own into Forests as well as their original types. Essentially, every single creature on your board is able to produce double green by tapping.

Another creature is a costly, large threat which gains from a high land count (like Ashaya, P/T are based on your land total).

This Planeswalker fits really well in this deck. One of her abilities makes all Forests produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means each one yield three G.) One loyalty ability acts as an early earthbend, placing counters on terrain, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, on the other hand, grants your entire land base indestructible and allows you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left in the deck. If you can actually activate this power, it almost certainly the game ends.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar focusing on the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into Gruul colors, you can use Bumi. He has level 4 earthbending, and when it hits a player to a player, land creatures are ready again for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a beloved leader, the cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the sought-after card in the Avatar set.