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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar will not get a wider release in the coming days, yet due to early access events over the last few days, one cheap green card has already exploded in value.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at a single green and one generic mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (perhaps the most effective of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon with this card lies in its second ability: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, the card was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, however, the market price escalated to $49.66 and one seller offering as high as $60. The reason for such high costs for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

When it arrives play, this creature turns a land into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, if it remains on the board, those lands yields two mana instead of one — in addition to other creatures in your control that produce resources.

A clear choice to combine with would be Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for one green mana. Yet many alternative mana dorks out there. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous pricey threat into play early in the game. Momentum builds exponentially by maintaining dominance from that point.

If you dip into another color using this method, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that can make all five colors. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play an additional land per turn AND transforms every land you control so they count as all basics. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides every card you own the power to be tapped for a mana of any type — which covers all creatures in play.

The cub could be too strong regarding ramping up your mana generation, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats match the number of lands you control, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests in addition to their original types. Essentially, every single creature in play is able to produce double green if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that benefits from many terrain cards (like Ashaya, P/T are equal to how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes every Forest tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests yield three G.) Her main ability acts as a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, grants your entire land base unbreakable and lets you put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in your deck. If you can actually activate that ability, it’s pretty much the game ends.

This card is a must-have for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies that use earthbend. If you dip into Gruul colors, you can use Bumi Unleashed. He has earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to a player, all land creatures untap and may attack once more. Even though Bumi is a beloved leader, the cub will surely stay one of the most, maybe the desired card in the collaboration.