One of the Avatar-themed cutest MTG cards proves to be a formidable little force.

MTG’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to get a wider release until later this week, yet following prerelease weekends this past weekend, one cheap green card experienced a surge in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness that costs a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub has Earthbending 1 (perhaps the best of the elemental mechanics available). Its key advantage here is its second ability: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, the card was available below $30. Following the early events, yet, its value has shot up to nearly $50 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. The reason for such high costs for this little creature? Mostly because of the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits play, Badgermole Cub converts one land into a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, while it is not removed, those lands generates double mana — plus mana-producing creatures on your side which tap for mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with includes this one-mana elf, a cheap 1/1 which can be tapped for G mana. But numerous alternative mana dorks in the game. This particular druid is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature costing two mana instead.

By playing lands, mana-producing creatures, plus the cub, you can easily get a very big and very expensive monster on the battlefield within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling out of control with continued aggression from that point.

When adding a secondary color in this strategy, options such as versatile mana producers are all great options that generate any color of mana. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play an additional land each turn plus makes every land you control providing all land types. Another possibility is for example the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana provides each permanent you control the capacity to be tapped for a mana of any type — which covers each creature in play.

The cub may be OP in terms of boosting mana production, yet how do you win with this archetype? A common and powerful choice already is Ashaya. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, plus it turns your non-token creatures Forests as well as their other types. This means, all your creatures you control is able to generate two green mana when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is a costly, large threat that benefits from a high land count (like Ashaya, P/T are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities causes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, so all earthbend forests yield three G.) One loyalty ability is essentially a proto-earthbend, placing counters on a land, which is great though it doesn't stack with earthbend. The minus ability, though, grants all of your lands indestructible enabling you to draw out all the remaining forests in the deck. Once you trigger that ability, it almost certainly you win.

This card is a must-have in any green Avatar deck built around Earthbending. If you dip into red-green, you can use this legendary card. He has level 4 earthbending, and when damage is dealt to an opponent, all land creatures untap for another attack. While that version is a popular Commander choice, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the desired card from this expansion.