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MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t become widely available in the coming days, but after prerelease weekends over the last few days, an affordable green creature has already exploded in value.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub attracted a lot of attention. A 2/2 priced at G and 1 mana, the card has the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the most effective of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage in its design is its second ability: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, the card was available for $26.98. Following the early events, though, the going rate has shot up to nearly $50 including listings as high as $60. What explains Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

When it arrives play, the cub turns a terrain card into a creature granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it is not removed, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — along with mana-producing creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy is the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that taps to generate G mana. However numerous alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 for two mana instead.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, plus the cub, you can easily get an enormous pricey creature into play early in the game. The situation escalates exponentially by maintaining dominance from there.

If you dip into another color in this strategy, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make any color of mana. Another card, this powerful dryad allows you to put one extra land every round AND makes all of your lands providing all land types. It's also worth trying for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment gives all of your permanents the power to be tapped for a mana of any type — including all creatures in play.

Badgermole Cub may be OP when it comes to boosting mana production, but how do you win in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice already is Ashaya. Its stats are set by the number of lands you control, and it makes your non-token creatures Forests along with other subtypes. This means, all your creatures on your board is able to produce double green when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that benefits from many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its stats are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities allows Forest lands generate an additional green mana. (Combined with earthbend, this results in each one yield three G.) One loyalty ability acts as a proto-earthbend, placing counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, on the other hand, grants all of your lands indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left in your deck. Should you manage to use this power, it’s pretty much game over.

The cub is a must-have in any decks using green and Avatar built around the earthbend mechanic. By including red-green, you can use this legendary card. He has level 4 earthbending, and when he deals combat damage to a player, all land creatures are ready again and can attack again. Although this card is a fan favorite Commander, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the sought-after card from this expansion.