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the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, but following early access events this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in market worth.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub attracted a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card includes Earthbending 1 (arguably the best within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage here lies in another power: If you tap a creature for mana, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, the card sold at around $27. Post-prerelease, yet, its value has shot up to nearly $50 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this little creature? Primarily due to the rapid resource generation it can produce.

Upon entering the board, this creature converts one land to a creature land with earthbend. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — along with mana-producing creatures on your side that produce resources.

A clear choice for maximum effect includes Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that taps to generate a green resource. Yet there are plenty of creatures that make mana available. This particular druid costs a bit more that’s a 1/3 for two mana instead.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive creature into play within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that generate any mana color. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put one extra land each turn plus transforms all of your lands so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides every card you own the power to produce one mana of any color — which covers each creature in play.

The cub may be OP regarding accelerating your resources, however how do you win for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice is this legendary creature. Its stats match how many lands you have, and it makes your non-token creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, all your creatures you control is able to produce double green if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its stats are based on how many lands you have).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a staple. Her passive ability causes all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability acts as an early earthbend, adding counters on terrain, handy but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. The minus ability, however, grants all of your lands indestructible and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in the deck. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

This card is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar that use the earthbend mechanic. When branching into Gruul colors, consider Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage in combat, land creatures untap for another attack. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be one of, if not the most sought-after card in the collaboration.