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Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, but after pre-releases over the last few days, one cheap green card has already exploded in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature garnered widespread focus. A 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, the card has the Earthbend 1 ability (arguably the strongest of the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The major perk here comes from another power: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, however, the going rate escalated above $45 and one seller offering as high as $60. What explains premium pricing on this adorable card? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits the battlefield, this creature turns one land into a creature that has earthbending. And with that second ability, as long as it is not removed, each affected land produces twice the mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures on your side that generate mana.

The obvious go-to for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a cheap 1/1 that produces G mana. However there are plenty of creatures that make mana out there. This particular druid is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 for two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive threat on the battlefield early in the game. The situation escalates exponentially by maintaining dominance from there.

By incorporating another color using this method, cards like versatile mana producers are all great options that can make any color of mana. Another card, this powerful dryad allows you to put one extra land per turn as well as turns every land you control providing all land types. It's also worth trying such as the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives every card you own the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — including each creature you have on the board.

The cub may be OP in terms of ramping up your mana generation, however what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya. Power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own into Forests along with other subtypes. In other words, all your creatures in play is able to tap for two G by tapping.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with a high land count (as with the previous card, its power and toughness are based on how many lands you have).

Nissa works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability causes every Forest tap for one more G. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in all earthbend forests yield three G.) Her plus ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, adding counters on a land, a useful effect but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, on the other hand, grants all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to search for your remaining Forests in your deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it almost certainly you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar focusing on the earthbend mechanic. By including red-green, there’s Bumi. This card features earthbend 4, and when it hits a player to a player, each animated land untap and may attack once more. Even though Bumi has become a popular Commander choice, the cub is set to be one of, if not the most desired card in the collaboration.