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the popular card game’s collaboration with Avatar will not become widely available until later this week, yet due to pre-releases this past weekend, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.

Even during previews, Badgermole Cub garnered a lot of attention. A 2/2 that costs one green and one colorless mana, Badgermole Cub features level 1 earthbending (arguably the most effective within the four bending abilities in the set). The major perk with this card lies in its second ability: Whenever a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub was available for $26.98. Post-prerelease, yet, the market price escalated to nearly $50 including listings as high as $60. The reason for premium pricing for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

Upon entering play, Badgermole Cub converts a terrain card so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it remains on the board, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — along with other creatures in your control which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy includes Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for one green mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks out there. Another option is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 for two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, mana-producing creatures, plus the cub, you can easily get a massive high-cost monster on the battlefield by round three or four. The situation escalates exponentially with continued aggression after that.

When adding another color with this approach, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that generate all five colors. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put one extra land each turn AND turns all of your lands so they count as all basics. You can also consider for example a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants each permanent you control the power to tap and generate a mana of any type — including all creatures under your control.

This card could be too strong when it comes to boosting mana production, yet what closes out the game in such a strategy? A common and powerful choice is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats are set by your land count, and it changes your non-token creatures into Forests in addition to their other types. Essentially, all your creatures on your board can generate two green mana if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its stats are based on your land total).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability allows all Forests tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, that means those lands yield three G.) Her plus ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters on terrain, handy but does not overlap with the cub's ability. The minus ability, however, makes all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to search for your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use this power, it’s pretty much game over.

This card is pretty much essential in any decks using green and Avatar built around Earthbending. When branching into Gruul colors, you can use this legendary card. It possesses earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage to a player, all land creatures untap and can attack again. While that version has become a beloved leader, the cub will surely stay one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.