Among the Avatar-themed most charming MTG cards turns out to be a powerful small contender.

the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set won’t get a wider release in the coming days, yet following early access events over the last few days, an affordable green creature has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub drew a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness priced at G and 1 mana, the card has Earthbending 1 (perhaps the best of the elemental mechanics available). The major perk here comes from an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

Initially, Badgermole Cub was available at around $27. Following the early events, however, the going rate jumped to nearly $50 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

Upon entering the battlefield, the cub transforms a terrain card so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it remains on the board, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — plus other creatures you have that generate mana.

An ideal partner for maximum effect is the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that taps to generate a green resource. However there are plenty of creatures that make mana in the game. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 for two mana instead.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get an enormous high-cost threat 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 an additional hue using this method, cards like these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that generate any mana color. Additionally, this powerful dryad enables playing an additional land each turn plus transforms all of your lands so they count as all basics. Another possibility is such as a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for one mana of any color — including any creature under your control.

The cub may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, but what closes out the game for a deck like this? One obvious and popular answer already is Ashaya. Power and toughness are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it makes all of your nontoken creatures Forests in addition to other subtypes. Essentially, all your creatures on your board may tap for two G when tapped.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, its stats match how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker is an excellent fit in this deck. One of her abilities makes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, so each one produce triple green.) Her plus ability functions like a form of land animation, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, which is great but does not overlap with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, on the other hand, makes each land you control indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests in the deck. Once you trigger that ability, it’s pretty much the game ends.

This card is a must-have in any green-based Avatar strategies built around earthbend. By including red and green, consider Bumi. This card features level 4 earthbending, plus if it hits a player to a player, land creatures untap for another attack. Although this card has become a beloved leader, this small creature is set to be one of, if not the most popular pick from this expansion.