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MTG’s collaboration with Avatar won’t hit the general market before the end of the week, yet following pre-releases recently, one cheap green card saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Even during previews, this small creature attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness requiring G and 1 mana, it features level 1 earthbending (possibly the best among the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage in its design lies in an additional effect: If mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

Initially, the card sold below $30. Following the early events, however, the market price has shot up above $45 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. Why are we seeing Vivi prices on this adorable card? Mainly due to the explosive mana ramping it enables.

As it hits the board, the cub turns a terrain card so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, if it is not removed, each affected land generates double mana — along with other creatures on your side that produce resources.

The obvious go-to to combine with is the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. But there are plenty of alternative mana dorks in the game. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature for two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, it's simple to summon an enormous high-cost creature into play by round three or four. The situation escalates out of control with continued aggression from there.

By incorporating another color using this method, cards like these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks which produce all five colors. Another card, a useful enchantment creature allows you to put one extra land every round AND transforms every land you control providing all land types. It's also worth trying something like a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana provides each permanent you control the ability to produce one mana of any color — which covers any creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub may be OP in terms of accelerating your resources, however what’s the endgame finisher in such a strategy? One obvious and popular answer has been Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its stats are set by how many lands you have, plus it turns your non-token creatures into Forests in addition to their other types. In other words, every single creature you control is able to generate two green mana if used for mana.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from many terrain cards (as with the previous card, its power and toughness are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World is an excellent fit as a staple. Her passive ability allows Forest lands tap for one more G. (Combined with earthbend, so each one generate three green mana.) Her plus ability is essentially a form of land animation, adding counters on a land, which is great but it isn't redundant with earthbending. Her ultimate, however, renders all of your lands immune to destruction and lets you search for every Forest left in your deck. Should you manage to use that ability, this typically means you win.

Badgermole Cub is nearly mandatory for any kind of green-based Avatar strategies that use Earthbending. If you dip into Gruul colors, there’s Bumi Unleashed. It possesses earthbend 4, and if he deals combat damage to an opponent, each animated land are ready again and can attack again. Although this card has emerged as a beloved leader, the cub is set to be among the top, possibly the sought-after card in the Avatar set.