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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to hit the general market until later this week, however due to pre-releases recently, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub includes Earthbending 1 (possibly the best within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage in its design comes from an additional effect: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub was available below $30. After the pre-release weekend, yet, its value has shot up to nearly $50 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. What explains premium pricing on this adorable card? Mostly thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

Upon entering the battlefield, the cub transforms a terrain card into a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, if it is not removed, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — along with other creatures you have which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect would be the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for G mana. Yet there are plenty of creatures that make mana available. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 costing two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play an enormous and very expensive creature into play early in the game. Momentum builds out of control with continued aggression from there.

When adding a secondary color in this strategy, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that can make any color of mana. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play one extra land per turn as well as transforms all of your lands so they count as all basics. Another possibility is for example this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana grants every card you own the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — including all creatures under your control.

The cub might seem overpowered regarding ramping up your mana generation, but what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it changes all of your nontoken creatures Forests in addition to their original types. This means, all your creatures you control may produce double green if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (as with the previous card, its power and toughness match your land total).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly as a staple. One of her abilities causes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, so those lands yield three G.) Her plus ability functions like an early earthbend, placing counters on terrain, handy but does not overlap with earthbend. Her ultimate, however, renders your entire land base unbreakable and allows you to search for every Forest left in the deck. If you can actually activate this power, this typically means the game ends.

The cub is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar built around Earthbending. By including Gruul colors, consider Bumi. He has earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt to an opponent, each animated land are ready again and can attack again. Even though Bumi has emerged as a beloved leader, the cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the sought-after card in the collaboration.