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MTG’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release before the end of the week, yet following pre-releases over the last few days, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in price.

Even during previews, this small creature garnered significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness requiring a single green and one generic mana, it has Earthbending 1 (arguably the most effective among the four bending abilities in the set). The real boon in its design is its second ability: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, this card could be purchased below $30. Post-prerelease, however, its value jumped to nearly $50 and one seller offering as high as $60. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Mostly due to the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

As it hits play, the cub converts one land to a creature land that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, while it is not removed, each affected land generates double mana — along with mana-producing creatures you have that produce resources.

An ideal partner for maximum effect is the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. However many alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, mana-producing creatures, plus the cub, you can easily get an enormous pricey monster into play early in the game. And things just keep spiraling exponentially with continued aggression from that point.

When adding a secondary color using this method, options such as these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that can make any mana color. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing another terrain every round AND transforms every land you control providing all land types. It's also worth trying such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives each permanent you control the power to tap and generate one mana of any color — even all creatures in play.

The cub may be OP in terms of accelerating your resources, however what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer has been Ashaya. Its stats are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it makes each creature you own to be Forests in addition to their other types. This means, all your creatures on your board can produce double green by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that thrives with many terrain cards (as with the previous card, its stats are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit as a staple. Her static effect causes every Forest tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, that means those lands yield three G.) Her main ability is essentially a form of land animation, placing counters to a noncreature land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbending. The minus ability, however, renders your entire land base indestructible and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests from your library. Should you manage to use this power, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all decks using green and Avatar that use earthbend. When branching into red and green, consider this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and when he deals combat damage to an opponent, land creatures untap for another attack. While that version has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick from this expansion.