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the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, but due to early access events this past weekend, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub attracted widespread focus. A 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features Earthbending 1 (arguably the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). The major perk here is another power: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, this card could be purchased for $26.98. Following the early events, however, the market price jumped above $45 with at least one listed as high as $60. What explains premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Mostly because of the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

Upon entering the battlefield, this creature transforms a terrain card into a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, every earthbent land generates double mana — plus any creatures in your control that generate mana.

A clear choice to combine with would be the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that produces a green resource. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature for two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a massive pricey creature on the board within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling out of control with continued aggression from there.

When adding an additional hue with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that can make any mana color. Additionally, this powerful dryad enables playing an additional land per turn plus turns all of your lands providing all land types. Another possibility is such as this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment grants every card you own the capacity to be tapped for any color mana — which covers each creature in play.

The cub may be OP regarding accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? An often-seen solution has been this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests in addition to their other types. This means, all your creatures you control is able to tap for two G by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with many terrain cards (like Ashaya, P/T are based on your land total).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes all Forests tap for one more G. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one yield three G.) One loyalty ability is essentially an early earthbend, placing counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, though, renders all of your lands indestructible and lets you search for all the remaining forests from your library. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies focusing on the earthbend mechanic. When branching into Gruul colors, you can use Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, and when it hits a player to a player, each animated land become untapped and can attack again. While that version has become a beloved leader, this small creature is set to be one of, if not the most popular pick in the collaboration.