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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, however following prerelease weekends over the last few days, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card features the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon in its design is its second ability: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub sold at around $27. Following the early events, however, its value has shot up to $49.66 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing such high costs on this adorable card? Mainly due to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

When it arrives the battlefield, this creature converts one land into a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it stays in play, each affected land generates double mana — along with other creatures in your control which tap for mana.

An ideal partner for maximum effect is the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. Yet numerous creatures that make mana out there. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value in comparison.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, plus the cub, you may quickly play a massive pricey creature into play by round three or four. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on from there.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that can make all five colors. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing one extra land each turn plus transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is something like a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment grants each permanent you control the ability to produce one mana of any color — even all creatures under your control.

Badgermole Cub could be too strong regarding ramping up your mana generation, however what closes out the game in such a strategy? An often-seen solution is this legendary creature. Power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it changes your non-token creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, each creature you control may generate two green mana when tapped.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body which gains from a high land count (as with the previous card, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker fits really well in this deck. Her static effect causes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, adding counters on terrain, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, however, grants each land you control immune to destruction enabling you to search for every Forest left from your library. Should you manage to use this power, this typically means you win.

This card is nearly mandatory in any green-based Avatar strategies built around the earthbend mechanic. By including red and green, you can use Bumi Unleashed. This card features earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to a player, each animated land untap and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has become a fan favorite Commander, the cub will surely stay among the top, possibly the popular pick from this expansion.