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MTG’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release before the end of the week, yet due to early access events this past weekend, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in value.

From the initial reveals, the earthbending cub attracted significant interest. A 2/2 that costs G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub has level 1 earthbending (perhaps the strongest among the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card lies in its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub sold at around $27. After the pre-release weekend, though, the market price has shot up to nearly $50 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this cute lil guy? Primarily because of the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature converts a terrain card into a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, while it is not removed, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — in addition to any creatures on your side that generate mana.

An ideal partner for synergy would be Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for a green resource. But many alternative mana dorks available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a very big and very expensive threat on the board early in the game. And things just keep spiraling exponentially if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into another color with this approach, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are excellent picks that generate any mana color. Another card, a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain per turn as well as makes every land you control providing all land types. You can also consider for example this six-mana enchantment, which for six mana gives each permanent you control the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — even any creature in play.

This card may be OP regarding boosting mana production, but how do you win in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya. Its stats match your land count, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests in addition to their original types. Essentially, each creature on your board is able to generate two green mana when tapped.

This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from many terrain cards (similar to Ashaya, P/T are based on the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit in this deck. One of her abilities allows all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, so all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability functions like a proto-earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, a useful effect but does not overlap with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants each land you control indestructible enabling you to search for your remaining Forests in the deck. Once you trigger that ability, it almost certainly you win.

The cub is nearly mandatory for all decks using green and Avatar built around the earthbend mechanic. If you dip into red-green, consider this legendary card. He has level 4 earthbending, and when damage is dealt to a player, each animated land untap for another attack. Although this card is a popular Commander choice, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.