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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, however after pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in market worth.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness that costs a single green and one generic mana, it has the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the most effective within the elemental mechanics available). The real boon here comes from its second ability: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, this card was available at around $27. Post-prerelease, though, its value escalated to $49.66 and one seller offering as high as $60. The reason for premium pricing for this little creature? Primarily due to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the battlefield, Badgermole Cub converts a land to a creature land granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, as long as it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — along with mana-producing creatures on your side that produce resources.

A clear choice to combine with is the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate G mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks available. This particular druid costs a bit more a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value in comparison.

Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a very big high-cost threat on the board by round three or four. Momentum builds rapidly with continued aggression from there.

When adding a secondary color using this method, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options which produce any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing one extra land each turn AND turns all of your lands providing all land types. You can also consider for example a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment provides each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for any color mana — even each creature under your control.

This card might seem overpowered regarding boosting mana production, yet what closes out the game in such a strategy? An often-seen solution has been this legendary creature. Its stats are set by your land count, and it changes each creature you own into Forests as well as their original types. This means, each creature you control is able to generate two green mana when tapped.

Another creature is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, P/T match the number of lands you control).

Nissa is an excellent fit in this deck. Her passive ability allows Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, so each one yield three G.) Her main ability acts as a form of land animation, adding counters on a land, handy but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, grants all of your lands indestructible and allows you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left in the deck. Once you trigger that ability, it almost certainly the game ends.

This card is pretty much essential in any green-based Avatar strategies that use Earthbending. If you dip into red-green, there’s Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, and when it hits a player to a player, all land creatures become untapped and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has become a beloved leader, the cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the collaboration.