One of the Avatar-themed most charming collectible cards proves to be a formidable small force.

Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion won’t hit the general market until later this week, but following early access events this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, it features level 1 earthbending (perhaps the most effective among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage here is its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, however, the market price has shot up to $49.66 including listings as high as $60. Why are we seeing Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly due to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

As it hits the battlefield, Badgermole Cub transforms one land so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, while it stays in play, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — in addition to other creatures in your control that generate mana.

An ideal partner for maximum effect would be the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. Yet numerous creatures that make mana out there. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a massive high-cost threat into play by round three or four. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance from there.

If you dip into a secondary color in this strategy, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that generate all five colors. And something like this powerful dryad enables playing another terrain per turn plus turns every land you control so they count as all basics. Another possibility is for example a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants all of your permanents the capacity to tap and generate a mana of any type — which covers each creature in play.

This card may be OP when it comes to accelerating your resources, however how do you win in such a strategy? An often-seen solution is Ashaya. Its power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, and it changes all of your nontoken creatures Forests in addition to their other types. This means, every single creature you control can tap for two G if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with many terrain cards (as with the previous card, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa fits really well as a staple. Her static effect makes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, this results in each one generate three green mana.) Her plus ability functions like a proto-earthbend, placing counters to a noncreature land, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, though, grants your entire land base indestructible and lets you put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests in the deck. If you can actually activate this power, it almost certainly you win.

The cub is pretty much essential in any decks using green and Avatar that use Earthbending. If you dip into red-green, you can use this legendary card. This card features earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. While that version is a fan favorite Commander, this small creature will surely stay one of the most, maybe the desired card in the collaboration.