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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release before the end of the week, however following pre-releases over the last few days, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in price.

From the initial reveals, this small creature garnered a lot of attention. A 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon in its design lies in an additional effect: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub was available for $26.98. Post-prerelease, yet, the going rate has shot up to $49.66 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing such high costs for this little creature? Primarily thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the board, the cub transforms a land into a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, if it is not removed, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — along with other creatures on your side which tap for mana.

A clear choice to combine with includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces a green resource. Yet many alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a higher-cost choice with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value as an alternative.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, you may quickly play an enormous and very expensive creature into play early in the game. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into an additional hue in this strategy, examples including versatile mana producers are all great options that generate all five colors. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put an additional land per turn plus turns all of your lands providing all land types. It's also worth trying such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides each permanent you control the capacity to be tapped for a mana of any type — even each creature in play.

The cub might seem overpowered in terms of accelerating your resources, however how do you win in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are set by how many lands you have, and it changes each creature you own into Forests as well as their other types. In other words, every single creature in play is able to generate two green mana if used for mana.

Another creature is a costly, large threat that benefits from a high land count (similar to Ashaya, P/T match the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a staple. One of her abilities causes Forest lands tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in each one yield three G.) One loyalty ability functions like a proto-earthbend, adding counters on terrain, a useful effect but it isn't redundant with earthbend. Her ultimate, though, renders your entire land base immune to destruction and allows you to search for all the remaining forests in your deck. Should you manage to use that ability, this typically means you win.

The cub is pretty much essential for all green Avatar deck built around Earthbending. By including Gruul colors, you can use this legendary card. He has level 4 earthbending, and if he deals combat damage to an opponent, land creatures become untapped and can attack again. While that version has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cub will surely stay one of, if not the most desired card in the Avatar set.