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Magic: The Gathering’s collaboration with Avatar isn't set to become widely available before the end of the week, however due to pre-releases recently, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in market worth.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub attracted a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card has Earthbending 1 (possibly the best of the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card comes from its second ability: If mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, the card could be purchased for $26.98. Following the early events, however, the going rate jumped to nearly $50 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing premium pricing on this adorable card? Mainly thanks to the rapid resource generation it provides.

When it arrives the battlefield, this creature turns a land to a creature land granting it earthbend. Combined with its other power, while it stays in play, each affected land generates double mana — along with mana-producing creatures in your control that generate mana.

The obvious go-to for synergy would be this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for one green mana. Yet there are plenty of alternative mana dorks available. Druid of the Cowl is a more expensive alternative with stats 1/3 at a two-mana value in comparison.

Deploying terrain, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon a very big pricey creature on the battlefield within a few turns. The situation escalates rapidly with continued aggression after that.

When adding another color with this approach, cards like versatile mana producers work perfectly that can make all five colors. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play one extra land per turn plus turns every land you control into every basic land type. Another possibility is something like a card called A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment provides each permanent you control the ability to tap and generate a mana of any type — which covers any creature in play.

The cub might seem overpowered when it comes to boosting mana production, however what’s the endgame finisher with this archetype? An often-seen solution already is this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to the number of lands you control, and it changes all of your nontoken creatures to be Forests as well as other subtypes. In other words, all your creatures on your board can generate two green mana by tapping.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that thrives with many terrain cards (as with the previous card, its stats match the number of lands you control).

This Planeswalker fits really well as a staple. Her static effect makes every Forest produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, that means those lands generate three green mana.) Her plus ability is essentially an early earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, handy but it isn't redundant with earthbend. The minus ability, though, grants all of your lands indestructible enabling you to draw out all the remaining forests in your deck. If you can actually activate this power, it almost certainly the game ends.

This card is nearly mandatory for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies focusing on Earthbending. When branching into red-green, you can use this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, plus if it hits a player in combat, all land creatures are ready again for another attack. Although this card has become a fan favorite Commander, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most sought-after card in the Avatar set.