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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar will not get a wider release until later this week, but after pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell has already exploded in value.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub includes Earthbending 1 (perhaps the most effective of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk with this card is an additional effect: If you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, the card could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, though, the market price has shot up above $45 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. The reason for Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Mainly due to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

As it hits play, the cub converts a land to a creature land that has earthbending. And with that second ability, as long as it stays in play, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to any creatures on your side that produce resources.

The obvious go-to to combine with is Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. However many alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you may quickly play a very big pricey creature into play early in the game. And things just keep spiraling exponentially with continued aggression from that point.

If you dip into a secondary color in this strategy, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make any color of mana. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing an additional land per turn plus makes every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying such as this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana provides every card you own the capacity to produce one mana of any color — which covers any creature you have on the board.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, but what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer has been this legendary creature. Its power and toughness are set by your land count, and it changes your non-token creatures Forests in addition to other subtypes. Essentially, every single creature you control is able to produce double green if used for mana.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with lots of lands (like Ashaya, P/T are equal to how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker works perfectly as a staple. Her passive ability allows Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, so all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her plus ability acts as a proto-earthbend, placing counters on terrain, which is great but does not overlap with the cub's ability. The minus ability, on the other hand, grants each land you control immune to destruction and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use this power, this typically means the game ends.

This card is pretty much essential for any kind of decks using green and Avatar that use Earthbending. By including red and green, you can use Bumi Unleashed. He has level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player in combat, each animated land untap and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the desired card from this expansion.