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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to become widely available in the coming days, however due to early access events recently, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub attracted significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness priced at one green and one colorless mana, it has level 1 earthbending (arguably the strongest among the four bending abilities in the set). The real boon here comes from another power: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, this card could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, though, the market price jumped to nearly $50 including listings as high as $60. Why are we seeing Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mostly due to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits play, Badgermole Cub turns a land into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — along with mana-producing creatures on your side that generate mana.

A clear choice to combine with is this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces one green mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks available. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 for two mana in comparison.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon a massive high-cost threat into play early in the game. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on from there.

If you dip into another color with this approach, examples including versatile mana producers work perfectly that generate any color of mana. And something like a useful enchantment creature allows you to put another terrain per turn plus transforms every land you control providing all land types. You can also consider for example a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment grants every card you own the ability to be tapped for one mana of any color — including all creatures under your control.

Badgermole Cub may be OP when it comes to accelerating your resources, however what closes out the game in such a strategy? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats match how many lands you have, and it changes each creature you own to be Forests as well as their original types. In other words, each creature in play is able to produce double green by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that thrives with lots of lands (as with the previous card, P/T are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes every Forest generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so each one generate three green mana.) Her plus ability acts as an early earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants each land you control unbreakable and allows you to draw out your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

This card is a must-have for all green-based Avatar strategies built around earthbend. If you dip into Gruul colors, you can use this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures untap and may attack once more. Although this card is a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the desired card in the collaboration.