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Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion will not hit the general market in the coming days, but following pre-releases this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in value.

From the initial reveals, Badgermole Cub attracted widespread focus. A 2/2 requiring G and 1 mana, Badgermole Cub includes the Earthbend 1 ability (perhaps the most effective within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon in its design lies in an additional effect: If mana is generated by tapping a creature, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, the card was available for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the going rate has shot up to $49.66 including listings for sale at $60.00. What explains such high costs on this adorable card? Mostly due to the incredible mana acceleration it enables.

As it hits play, the cub turns one land to a creature land with earthbend. Alongside its mana-doubling effect, as long as it remains on the board, every earthbent land produces twice the mana — in addition to mana-producing creatures in your control which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to for synergy would be this one-mana elf, an inexpensive 1/1 that produces G mana. Yet many creatures that make mana out there. Another option is a more expensive alternative that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value instead.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, alongside this card, you may quickly play an enormous pricey threat on the battlefield early in the game. And things just keep spiraling exponentially by maintaining dominance from there.

When adding an additional hue in this strategy, cards like these mana-fixing creatures work perfectly that can make any color of mana. Another card, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put another terrain every round plus turns all of your lands into every basic land type. You can also consider something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives every card you own the power to be tapped for any color mana — which covers any creature you have on the board.

The cub might seem overpowered when it comes to ramping up your mana generation, yet how do you win in such a strategy? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Power and toughness are set by your land count, and it makes each creature you own Forests along with their other types. Essentially, every single creature on your board can generate two green mana if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from a high land count (like Ashaya, P/T match how many lands you have).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well in this deck. One of her abilities makes every Forest tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, that means those lands generate three green mana.) Her main ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters to a noncreature land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with earthbending. Her ultimate, though, grants each land you control unbreakable enabling you to search for your remaining Forests in the deck. Should you manage to use that ability, it almost certainly the game ends.

This card is nearly mandatory in any decks using green and Avatar focusing on Earthbending. When branching into red and green, there’s Bumi Unleashed. This card features level 4 earthbending, and when it hits a player to an opponent, each animated land are ready again and may attack once more. While that version has become a beloved leader, the cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most desired card from this expansion.