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MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, but after early access events this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in price.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew significant interest. A 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub has the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the best of the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk with this card comes from an additional effect: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

Initially, this card was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, though, its value escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed as high as $60. The reason for premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Mostly due to the incredible mana acceleration it enables.

As it hits the board, this creature transforms a land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it remains on the board, those lands yields two mana instead of one — in addition to mana-producing creatures in your control that produce resources.

An ideal partner to combine with includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that taps to generate G mana. However numerous other mana generation creatures in the game. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, it's simple to summon an enormous pricey threat on the board early in the game. And things just keep spiraling exponentially by maintaining dominance from there.

By incorporating an additional hue with this approach, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options which produce all five colors. Another card, a useful enchantment creature enables playing another terrain each turn AND turns all of your lands so they count as all basics. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants all of your permanents the ability to be tapped for any color mana — which covers any creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are both equal to how many lands you have, and it makes all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests as well as their other types. Essentially, every single creature you control may generate two green mana by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat which gains from many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, P/T match your land total).

Nissa fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities makes all Forests produce extra green. (If you have the cub, that means those lands yield three G.) Her plus ability is essentially a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, which is great but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. The minus ability, on the other hand, grants each land you control immune to destruction and allows you to draw out every Forest left in your deck. If you can actually activate this power, it almost certainly game over.

Badgermole Cub is a must-have for any kind of green Avatar deck focusing on the earthbend mechanic. When branching into Gruul colors, consider Bumi. This card features earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to an opponent, land creatures untap for another attack. Even though Bumi has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay one of, if not the most popular pick in the collaboration.