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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, yet following early access events recently, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in price.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub includes Earthbending 1 (perhaps the most effective within the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card comes from an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, however, the market price escalated to nearly $50 and one seller offering priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

Upon entering the board, this creature turns a land into a creature with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice to combine with would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. But numerous creatures that make mana in the game. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value in comparison.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you can easily get a massive and very expensive creature into play early in the game. And things just keep spiraling out of control with continued aggression from that point.

When adding another color using this method, options such as Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly which produce any mana color. Another card, a useful enchantment creature lets you play an additional land each turn AND transforms every land you control so they count as all basics. You can also consider for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants each permanent you control the capacity to produce any color mana — including all creatures in play.

This card might seem overpowered in terms of boosting mana production, yet what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice already is Ashaya. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests in addition to their other types. Essentially, all your creatures you control is able to generate two green mana if used for mana.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from a high land count (like Ashaya, its stats are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. Her static effect allows Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, this results in all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) Her main ability functions like an early earthbend, adding counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her -8 ability, though, renders each land you control indestructible and allows you to search for every Forest left from your library. Once you trigger this power, it almost certainly the game ends.

The cub is a must-have in any decks using green and Avatar that use the earthbend mechanic. When branching into red and green, there’s this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage in combat, land creatures untap for another attack. While that version is a beloved leader, this small creature is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card in the Avatar set.