One of Avatar's cutest Magic cards is a formidable little powerhouse.

the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set will not hit the general market before the end of the week, however following early access events this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in value.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub drew significant interest. A 2/2 priced at a single green and one generic mana, the card has level 1 earthbending (possibly the most effective within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). The real boon in its design is its second ability: Each time mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, Badgermole Cub could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, though, the going rate has shot up above $45 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. The reason for Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly due to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits the board, the cub converts one land to a creature land that has earthbending. Combined with its other power, if it is not removed, those lands yields two mana instead of one — plus any creatures you have which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. But numerous other mana generation creatures in the game. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more that’s a 1/3 at a two-mana value in comparison.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, and Badgermole Cub, you may quickly play a massive and very expensive creature on the battlefield by round three or four. The situation escalates exponentially with continued aggression from that point.

When adding another color in this strategy, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make any color of mana. Additionally, this powerful dryad enables playing an additional land per turn AND turns every land you control into every basic land type. It's also worth trying something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants all of your permanents the power to tap and generate any color mana — even each creature in play.

The cub may be OP in terms of boosting mana production, however what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? An often-seen solution has been Ashaya. Its stats are set by how many lands you have, and it changes each creature you own Forests in addition to other subtypes. In other words, each creature in play is able to generate two green mana if used for mana.

This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (like Ashaya, P/T are equal to the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit in this deck. Her static effect makes Forest lands produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one generate three green mana.) Her main ability acts as a form of land animation, placing counters on terrain, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her -8 ability, on the other hand, renders your entire land base indestructible enabling you to put onto the battlefield every Forest left in the deck. Should you manage to use that ability, this typically means game over.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory in any green-based Avatar strategies that use earthbend. By including red and green, consider Bumi Unleashed. This card features earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt to a player, each animated land are ready again and can attack again. While that version has become a popular Commander choice, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most sought-after card from this expansion.