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the popular card game’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, yet after pre-releases over the last few days, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in market worth.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub drew a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness requiring G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features level 1 earthbending (perhaps the most effective among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage in its design is an additional effect: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, the card could be purchased at around $27. Post-prerelease, however, its value jumped above $45 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing such high costs for this little creature? Primarily because of the rapid resource generation it provides.

As it hits the board, this creature turns a land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it is not removed, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to mana-producing creatures you have that produce resources.

An ideal partner to combine with is Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. However numerous other mana generation creatures available. Another option is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature costing two mana as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you can easily get a very big high-cost threat on the board early in the game. The situation escalates rapidly by maintaining dominance from there.

When adding a secondary color using this method, cards like these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that can make any color of mana. Additionally, this powerful dryad enables playing one extra land each turn as well as transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides each permanent you control the ability to tap and generate one mana of any color — even any creature under your control.

The cub could be too strong when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win for a deck like this? An often-seen solution has been Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats are set by your land count, and it changes your non-token creatures to be Forests in addition to other subtypes. In other words, every single creature on your board is able to generate two green mana if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its stats match how many lands you have).

Nissa works perfectly in this deck. One of her abilities causes every Forest produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability is essentially an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on a land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. Her ultimate, however, makes all of your lands unbreakable and lets you search for every Forest left from your library. Once you trigger that ability, this typically means game over.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any green Avatar deck built around earthbend. If you dip into Gruul colors, consider Bumi Unleashed. It possesses earthbend 4, plus if damage is dealt to an opponent, each animated land are ready again for another attack. Even though Bumi has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the desired card from this expansion.