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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to get a wider release in the coming days, but after early access events this past weekend, one cheap green card has already exploded in price.

Even during previews, the earthbending cub garnered significant interest. A creature with stats 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, the card features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective among the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage with this card is its second ability: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub sold for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, though, the going rate escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed as high as $60. What explains such high costs on this adorable card? Mostly thanks to the rapid resource generation it can produce.

When it arrives the battlefield, the cub converts one land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, while it stays in play, every earthbent land generates double mana — along with any creatures in your control which tap for mana.

A clear choice to combine with is the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for G mana. But many alternative mana dorks available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

By playing lands, dorks that generate resources, alongside this card, you can easily get a massive high-cost creature into play early in the game. The situation escalates out of control with continued aggression from that point.

When adding 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, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing an additional land each turn as well as turns your entire land base so they count as all basics. It's also worth trying such as this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment provides each permanent you control the ability to produce one mana of any color — even any creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, but what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Power and toughness are set by the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures into Forests along with other subtypes. In other words, every single creature in play is able to tap for two G by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from a high land count (similar to Ashaya, P/T match how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World works perfectly in this deck. One of her abilities allows all Forests produce extra green. (If you have the cub, this results in those lands yield three G.) Her main ability is essentially an early earthbend, adding counters on terrain, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, on the other hand, renders your entire land base immune to destruction and lets you put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests from your library. If you can actually activate that ability, it almost certainly the game ends.

The cub is pretty much essential in any decks using green and Avatar that use Earthbending. If you dip into red and green, there’s this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player to a player, land creatures untap and can attack again. Although this card has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most sought-after card in the collaboration.