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the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release in the coming days, yet due to early access events recently, one cheap green card has already exploded in price.

From the initial reveals, this small creature attracted significant interest. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, the card has level 1 earthbending (perhaps the best among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon here is its second ability: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, the card sold for $26.98. Post-prerelease, however, the going rate escalated to $49.66 with at least one listed as high as $60. Why are we seeing such high costs on this adorable card? Mostly because of the explosive mana ramping it provides.

When it arrives the board, this creature turns a terrain card so it becomes a creature that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, if it is not removed, each affected land generates double mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures you have which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that produces a green resource. Yet numerous alternative mana dorks available. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature for two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon a very big high-cost creature on the board by round three or four. And things just keep spiraling out of control if you keep the pressure on after that.

When adding a secondary color using this method, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks which produce any color of mana. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put one extra land each turn as well as makes your entire land base providing all land types. Another possibility is something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana grants all of your permanents the capacity to tap and generate any color mana — including any creature you have on the board.

The cub may be OP when it comes to boosting mana production, but what’s the endgame finisher for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya. Power and toughness are both equal to your land count, plus it turns each creature you own Forests in addition to other subtypes. This means, each creature you control can produce double green if used for mana.

This additional option is a costly, large threat that thrives with many terrain cards (as with the previous card, P/T are equal to how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a staple. One of her abilities causes all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so each one generate three green mana.) Her main ability acts as a form of land animation, adding counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbending. Her -8 ability, however, grants all of your lands unbreakable and allows you to put onto the battlefield your remaining Forests in your deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, it almost certainly you win.

This card is nearly mandatory for all green-based Avatar strategies built around Earthbending. By including red-green, you can use this legendary card. He has level 4 earthbending, and if he deals combat damage in combat, all land creatures are ready again and may attack once more. While that version has emerged as a beloved leader, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card from this expansion.