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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to become widely available until later this week, but after prerelease weekends this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in value.

From the initial reveals, this small creature drew widespread focus. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs one green and one colorless mana, Badgermole Cub has the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the best within the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card is another power: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, this card sold below $30. After the pre-release weekend, however, its value has shot up to $49.66 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mostly due to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

Upon entering the board, the cub converts a land into a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, those lands generates double mana — along with other creatures on your side that generate mana.

A clear choice to combine with is Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. But many other mana generation creatures in the game. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature costing two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, you may quickly play a very big pricey creature on the battlefield early in the game. And things just keep spiraling rapidly if you keep the pressure on from there.

When adding an additional hue with this approach, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that generate any color of mana. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play one extra land per turn AND transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment grants each permanent you control the capacity to produce one mana of any color — which covers all creatures under your control.

This card may be OP in terms of accelerating your resources, yet what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer has been Ashaya. Its power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests as well as their other types. This means, each creature you control is able to produce double green by tapping.

This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from a high land count (as with the previous card, P/T are based on your land total).

Nissa works perfectly in this deck. Her passive ability allows Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, so all earthbend forests produce triple green.) Her main ability acts as a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, handy but it isn't redundant with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, though, grants all of your lands immune to destruction and lets you search for every Forest left from your library. Should you manage to use that ability, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory for all green-based Avatar strategies that use Earthbending. If you dip into red and green, consider Bumi Unleashed. He has level 4 earthbending, and if it hits a player to a player, land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. Although this card has become a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the sought-after card in the Avatar set.