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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to get a wider release before the end of the week, however due to early access events this past weekend, one cheap green card experienced a surge in market worth.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the strongest of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card comes from another power: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub sold below $30. Following the early events, yet, the market price has shot up to nearly $50 with at least one listed as high as $60. What explains such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mostly because of the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature converts a land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it remains on the board, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — plus mana-producing creatures on your side which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with includes the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate one green mana. Yet numerous creatures that make mana in the game. This particular druid costs a bit more with stats 1/3 costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you can easily get a massive and very expensive threat on the battlefield within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling exponentially with continued aggression from there.

If you dip into another color in this strategy, options such as versatile mana producers work perfectly that can make any mana color. And something like this powerful dryad lets you play one extra land every round AND makes every land you control providing all land types. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants every card you own the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers any creature under your control.

This card could be too strong in terms of boosting mana production, however how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness are both equal to the number of lands you control, plus it turns each creature you own Forests along with their other types. In other words, all your creatures on your board may produce double green when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that thrives with lots of lands (like Ashaya, its stats match the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker fits really well in this deck. One of her abilities makes all Forests produce extra green. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability functions like a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbend. Her ultimate, though, makes each land you control immune to destruction enabling you to search for every Forest left in your deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. If you dip into red and green, consider Bumi. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and if damage is dealt to a player, each animated land are ready again and may attack once more. While that version has emerged as a beloved leader, the cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the collaboration.