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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to become widely available until later this week, but following pre-releases recently, one cheap green card has already exploded in price.

Even during previews, this small creature attracted a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the most effective among the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk here comes from its second ability: Each time a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, this card could be purchased at around $27. After the pre-release weekend, yet, its value jumped to $49.66 including listings for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing premium pricing for this little creature? Primarily because of the rapid resource generation it enables.

As it hits the battlefield, the cub transforms a terrain card so it becomes a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, while it is not removed, every earthbent land yields two mana instead of one — along with mana-producing creatures on your side which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy would be this one-mana elf, a cheap 1/1 that produces a green resource. But there are plenty of alternative mana dorks out there. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more with stats 1/3 for two mana instead.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive threat on the board within a few turns. Momentum builds exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into another color with this approach, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that generate any mana color. Another card, this powerful dryad enables playing another terrain per turn AND turns all of your lands providing all land types. It's also worth trying for example this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana gives every card you own the capacity to be tapped for any color mana — which covers all creatures in play.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice already is this legendary creature. Its stats are set by the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own Forests in addition to their other types. In other words, all your creatures on your board is able to generate two green mana by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its power and toughness match how many lands you have).

Nissa fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities makes every Forest generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in those lands yield three G.) Her plus ability is essentially an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with earthbending. The minus ability, on the other hand, grants your entire land base immune to destruction enabling you to search for every Forest left in your deck. Should you manage to use this power, this typically means game over.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for all decks using green and Avatar that use earthbend. If you dip into red-green, you can use this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and when he deals combat damage to an opponent, each animated land become untapped and may attack once more. While that version has become a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub will surely stay among the top, possibly the desired card from this expansion.