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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, however following pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub attracted significant interest. A 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, it features Earthbending 1 (possibly the best within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk in its design is another power: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub sold below $30. Following the early events, however, the market price escalated to nearly $50 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. What explains such high costs for this cute lil guy? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it enables.

As it hits the board, the cub turns a land into a creature granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to other creatures you have that generate mana.

A clear choice for synergy is Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. Yet numerous creatures that make mana available. Another option is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 for two mana as an alternative.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive threat into play early in the game. And things just keep spiraling rapidly if you keep the pressure on from that point.

When adding an additional hue using this method, examples including versatile mana producers are all great options that can make any color of mana. Additionally, this powerful dryad allows you to put another terrain each turn plus transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. You can also consider for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants each permanent you control the power to be tapped for a mana of any type — which covers any creature in play.

The cub could be too strong when it comes to accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness are set by your land count, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests as well as their other types. Essentially, every single creature you control can tap for two G if used for mana.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa is an excellent fit in this deck. One of her abilities allows Forest lands tap for one more G. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as a proto-earthbend, placing counters on a land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to draw out your remaining Forests from your library. Should you manage to use this power, it’s pretty much the game ends.

The cub is a must-have for any kind of green Avatar deck built around earthbend. When branching into red and green, you can use this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, and when he deals combat damage to an opponent, each animated land are ready again and can attack again. While that version is a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card from this expansion.