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MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market in the coming days, yet following early access events over the last few days, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub attracted widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness requiring G and 1 mana, it has level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective of the elemental mechanics available). The major perk in its design is another power: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, this card sold at around $27. Post-prerelease, yet, its value has shot up to $49.66 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. The reason for such high costs for this little creature? Mostly because of the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

As it hits the battlefield, the cub converts one land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, if it is not removed, those lands yields two mana instead of one — in addition to mana-producing creatures you have which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect is this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get an enormous and very expensive threat on the board by round three or four. The situation escalates out of control with continued aggression from that point.

If you dip into a secondary color using this method, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that can make all five colors. And something like this powerful dryad enables playing one extra land each turn plus turns your entire land base into every basic land type. It's also worth trying something like this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana grants each permanent you control the capacity to be tapped for any color mana — including all creatures you have on the board.

The cub may be OP in terms of accelerating your resources, yet what closes out the game in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer already is this legendary creature. Power and toughness are both equal to your land count, and it changes your non-token creatures to be Forests along with their other types. In other words, all your creatures in play is able to generate two green mana when tapped.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its power and toughness match your land total).

Nissa works perfectly in this deck. Her static effect allows all Forests tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, so all earthbend forests yield three G.) Her main ability is essentially a form of land animation, placing counters on a land, handy though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, though, grants all of your lands immune to destruction and lets you draw out all the remaining forests in the deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly game over.

The cub is a must-have in any green Avatar deck that use the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red and green, there’s Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player to an opponent, each animated land become untapped and may attack once more. Although this card is a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.