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the popular card game’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to become widely available before the end of the week, yet after pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in market worth.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub drew a lot of attention. A 2/2 priced at G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has level 1 earthbending (possibly the best within the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk in its design is another power: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, this card was available for $26.98. Following the early events, though, its value has shot up to $49.66 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Primarily because of the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

Upon entering play, Badgermole Cub turns one land to a creature land with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — plus other creatures on your side that generate mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. But many alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get an enormous pricey threat on the board early in the game. Momentum builds rapidly by maintaining dominance from that point.

When adding a secondary color using this method, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options which produce any mana color. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put one extra land each turn plus transforms your entire land base providing all land types. It's also worth trying for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment grants all of your permanents the ability to be tapped for one mana of any color — even each creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered in terms of ramping up your mana generation, but what closes out the game for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests along with their original types. Essentially, every single creature on your board is able to produce double green when tapped.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, its stats match your land total).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit as a staple. One of her abilities makes Forest lands produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, so all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) Her plus ability functions like an early earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, however, renders each land you control immune to destruction and allows you to search for every Forest left in the deck. If you can actually activate that ability, it’s pretty much the game ends.

This card is nearly mandatory for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies built around Earthbending. By including red and green, consider Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, and if damage is dealt to an opponent, land creatures are ready again and can attack again. Although this card has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be among the top, possibly the popular pick in the Avatar set.