Among Avatar's most charming MTG cards proves to be a formidable small force.

Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar will not get a wider release until later this week, but after prerelease weekends this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in price.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub features the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the most effective within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon in its design comes from an additional effect: Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, this card sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, however, the market price has shot up to nearly $50 including listings priced at sixty dollars. The reason for premium pricing on this adorable card? Mostly due to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature converts a terrain card into a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures you have that generate mana.

An ideal partner for synergy is the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for a green resource. However there are plenty of creatures that make mana available. Another option is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 costing two mana instead.

Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a very big pricey threat on the battlefield early in the game. The situation escalates exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

When adding an additional hue using this method, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make any color of mana. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain per turn AND transforms all of your lands providing all land types. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides all of your permanents the capacity to produce one mana of any color — even all creatures in play.

This card could be too strong in terms of ramping up your mana generation, but how do you win in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice has been this legendary creature. Power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it makes each creature you own into Forests along with their original types. Essentially, all your creatures you control can produce double green by tapping.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its stats match how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well in this deck. Her static effect allows every Forest generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means those lands produce triple green.) Her plus ability functions like a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbending. The minus ability, however, makes all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left from your library. Once you trigger this power, this typically means the game ends.

This card is pretty much essential for all green-based Avatar strategies focusing on earthbend. When branching into red and green, you can use this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt to an opponent, land creatures untap and may attack once more. Although this card has become a fan favorite Commander, the cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.