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MTG’s special Avatar expansion will not hit the general market in the coming days, but due to pre-releases over the last few days, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub attracted widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub includes the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk with this card is another power: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub sold for $26.98. Post-prerelease, though, the going rate has shot up to $49.66 including listings for sale at $60.00. What explains such high costs for this little creature? Mostly due to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives play, Badgermole Cub transforms a terrain card so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it stays in play, each affected land generates double mana — in addition to any creatures in your control that generate mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with is Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. However there are plenty of alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature for two mana instead.

Deploying terrain, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you may quickly play an enormous and very expensive threat into play within a few turns. Momentum builds rapidly with continued aggression after that.

When adding an additional hue in this strategy, cards like versatile mana producers work perfectly which produce all five colors. Another card, this powerful dryad enables playing one extra land every round AND turns all of your lands so they count as all basics. You can also consider such as a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants each permanent you control the capacity to tap and generate one mana of any color — which covers any creature in play.

Badgermole Cub may be OP regarding boosting mana production, however how do you win with this archetype? An often-seen solution already is this legendary creature. Its stats are set by how many lands you have, plus it turns all of your nontoken creatures into Forests along with other subtypes. Essentially, each creature you control may generate two green mana by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from a high land count (as with the previous card, its stats match how many lands you have).

Nissa fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, so each one produce triple green.) Her plus ability functions like a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, renders all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in your deck. Once you trigger this power, it almost certainly the game ends.

This card is a must-have for all decks using green and Avatar that use the earthbend mechanic. By including red and green, consider Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, and if he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures are ready again for another attack. While that version has become a beloved leader, the cub will surely stay among the top, possibly the popular pick from this expansion.