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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar will not get a wider release in the coming days, however after early access events recently, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in value.

Even during previews, this small creature drew significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, the card includes the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). The real boon in its design is another power: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, this card sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the going rate escalated to nearly $50 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. The reason for premium pricing on this adorable card? Primarily thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

When it arrives the board, this creature transforms one land to a creature land that has earthbending. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures in your control that generate mana.

An ideal partner to combine with includes this one-mana elf, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for one green mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks available. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value as an alternative.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a very big and very expensive threat on the board within a few turns. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into another color with this approach, options such as these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks which produce any mana color. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put another terrain each turn as well as makes your entire land base providing all land types. It's also worth trying such as this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment provides all of your permanents the ability to tap and generate one mana of any color — even any creature under your control.

The cub may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win with this archetype? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya. Its stats are both equal to how many lands you have, and it makes all of your nontoken creatures into Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, every single creature you control is able to generate two green mana if used for mana.

Another creature is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from a high land count (as with the previous card, its stats are based on how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a staple. One of her abilities allows every Forest generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so each one yield three G.) Her plus ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, though, makes each land you control unbreakable and lets you draw out every Forest left in the deck. Once you trigger the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

The cub is nearly mandatory for all decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. If you dip into Gruul colors, there’s Bumi. This card features level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player to an opponent, land creatures become untapped for another attack. Although this card is a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card in the Avatar set.