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Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, but due to pre-releases recently, an affordable green creature has already exploded in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature attracted a lot of attention. A creature with stats 2/2 priced at G and 1 mana, it features Earthbending 1 (perhaps the most effective among the elemental mechanics available). The major perk with this card is another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, Badgermole Cub was available at around $27. Following the early events, however, the market price escalated to nearly $50 including listings as high as $60. The reason for Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly because of the rapid resource generation it enables.

Upon entering play, this creature converts a terrain card into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, while it remains on the board, each affected land generates double mana — plus any creatures on your side which tap for mana.

A clear choice for maximum effect would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. But many other mana generation creatures out there. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more that’s a 1/3 costing two mana in comparison.

Using land cards, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a very big and very expensive monster on the board early in the game. The situation escalates exponentially with continued aggression from there.

By incorporating a secondary color in this strategy, cards like versatile mana producers work perfectly that can make any mana color. Another card, a useful enchantment creature enables playing one extra land per turn as well as transforms your entire land base into every basic land type. It's also worth trying for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides every card you own the capacity to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers all creatures under your control.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered regarding ramping up your mana generation, yet how do you win with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Its stats are both equal to how many lands you have, plus it turns each creature you own Forests as well as their original types. Essentially, all your creatures in play is able to tap for two G by tapping.

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

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit as a staple. Her passive ability makes all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one produce triple green.) One loyalty ability functions like a form of land animation, placing counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her -8 ability, though, makes each land you control indestructible enabling you to search for all the remaining forests in your deck. If you can actually activate this power, this typically means the game ends.

The cub is pretty much essential in any decks using green and Avatar built around earthbend. By including Gruul colors, you can use Bumi. He has earthbend 4, and if it hits a player to an opponent, all land creatures are ready again and can attack again. Although this card has become a beloved leader, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be among the top, possibly the desired card in the Avatar set.