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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, but following pre-releases this past weekend, one cheap green card experienced a surge in market worth.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub garnered widespread focus. A 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub includes Earthbending 1 (possibly the strongest of the elemental mechanics available). The major perk with this card lies in an additional effect: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, the card could be purchased at around $27. Post-prerelease, though, the market price has shot up to nearly $50 and one seller offering as high as $60. The reason for Vivi prices on this adorable card? Primarily thanks to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature converts a land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — plus any creatures you have which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect would be this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate a green resource. Yet numerous creatures that make mana out there. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value instead.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a very big high-cost creature on the board early in the game. The situation escalates rapidly by maintaining dominance after that.

If you dip into an additional hue using this method, cards like these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that generate any mana color. Another card, this powerful dryad allows you to put an additional land every round plus makes every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants every card you own the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — even any creature you have on the board.

Badgermole Cub may be OP regarding accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? A common and powerful choice has been this legendary creature. Its stats match the number of lands you control, and it makes your non-token creatures into Forests as well as other subtypes. Essentially, each creature on your board can produce double green by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature that benefits from a high land count (like Ashaya, its stats match how many lands you have).

Nissa works perfectly in this deck. One of her abilities causes Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, so those lands produce triple green.) Her main ability acts as a form of land animation, adding counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, renders your entire land base immune to destruction and lets you put onto the battlefield every Forest left in the deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it’s pretty much you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all green-based Avatar strategies that use the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into Gruul colors, consider Bumi. He has level 4 earthbending, plus if damage is dealt to a player, land creatures become untapped for another attack. Even though Bumi has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be one of the most, maybe the sought-after card from this expansion.