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MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, however due to pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub attracted a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card comes from an additional effect: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, this card could be purchased at around $27. Following the early events, though, the going rate escalated to $49.66 including listings as high as $60. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

As it hits play, the cub converts a land into a creature granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, while it stays in play, each affected land generates double mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures on your side that produce resources.

The obvious go-to to combine with would be Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces a green resource. Yet many creatures that make mana out there. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value as an alternative.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, you may quickly play a massive high-cost creature on the board by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling out of control if you keep the pressure on after that.

If you dip into an additional hue in this strategy, options such as these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that can make any color of mana. Another card, this powerful dryad lets you play an additional land per turn plus turns your entire land base so they count as all basics. Another possibility is such as this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana grants every card you own the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — even each creature in play.

The cub may be OP in terms of boosting mana production, but how do you win in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya. Power and toughness are set by your land count, and it makes your non-token creatures into Forests along with other subtypes. Essentially, all your creatures on your board can tap for two G if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from a high land count (like Ashaya, P/T are equal to how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker works perfectly as a staple. Her static effect allows all Forests produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, so each one produce triple green.) One loyalty ability functions like an early earthbend, placing counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. The minus ability, however, grants your entire land base immune to destruction and lets you draw out every Forest left from your library. Should you manage to use the ultimate, this typically means the game ends.

The cub is pretty much essential for all green Avatar deck focusing on earthbend. If you dip into red-green, there’s Bumi. He has earthbend 4, plus if damage is dealt to an opponent, each animated land untap for another attack. Although this card has emerged as a popular Commander choice, this small creature will surely stay among the top, possibly the desired card in the collaboration.