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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar will not become widely available before the end of the week, yet after early access events over the last few days, an affordable green creature has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub drew significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness priced at G and 1 mana, the card has Earthbending 1 (perhaps the strongest among the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk here is its second ability: Each time you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub sold for $26.98. Following the early events, yet, the market price jumped to nearly $50 and one seller offering as high as $60. What explains such high costs on this adorable card? Primarily due to the explosive mana ramping it provides.

When it arrives the battlefield, Badgermole Cub transforms a land to a creature land that has earthbending. And with that second ability, if it remains on the board, those lands produces twice the mana — in addition to any creatures you have which tap for mana.

An ideal partner to combine with includes this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate one green mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks available. Another option costs a bit more that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value instead.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you can easily get a very big pricey creature on the battlefield early in the game. The situation escalates out of control by maintaining dominance from there.

If you dip into another color in this strategy, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that generate any color of mana. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing one extra land every round as well as transforms every land you control so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying for example this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment gives every card you own the ability to tap and generate one mana of any color — which covers each creature you have on the board.

This card may be OP regarding ramping up your mana generation, however how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats match how many lands you have, plus it turns each creature you own to be Forests in addition to other subtypes. In other words, each creature you control may tap for two G by tapping.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to how many lands you have).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means each one generate three green mana.) Her main ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, placing counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, on the other hand, renders each land you control unbreakable and lets you draw out your remaining Forests in the deck. Once you trigger that ability, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential in any green Avatar deck focusing on earthbend. When branching into red-green, consider this legendary card. This card features earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to an opponent, land creatures become untapped and can attack again. Even though Bumi is a beloved leader, the cub will surely stay one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.