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MTG’s special Avatar expansion won’t become widely available before the end of the week, yet after pre-releases over the last few days, an affordable green creature saw a sharp rise in market worth.

Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature attracted a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness requiring one green and one colorless mana, the card includes level 1 earthbending (perhaps the best within the set’s four “bending” mechanics). Its key advantage in its design is another power: If a creature is tapped to produce mana, you gain one extra green mana.

Initially, the card could be purchased for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, yet, the market price jumped above $45 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing Vivi prices for this little creature? Mainly because of the incredible mana acceleration it can produce.

Upon entering play, the cub turns a land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, while it remains on the board, each affected land generates double mana — along with any creatures in your control which tap for mana.

A clear choice for synergy is this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that taps to generate a green resource. However numerous creatures that make mana available. Another option is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature at a two-mana value as an alternative.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, you can easily get a massive pricey creature on the battlefield by round three or four. Momentum builds exponentially by maintaining dominance from that point.

If you dip into an additional hue with this approach, cards like these mana-fixing creatures are all great options that can make all five colors. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put an additional land per turn plus transforms all of your lands providing all land types. You can also consider for example this six-mana enchantment, at a six-mana investment provides each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for any color mana — even each creature under your control.

Badgermole Cub could be too strong in terms of accelerating your resources, however what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are set by how many lands you have, and it changes each creature you own into Forests in addition to their original types. In other words, each creature you control is able to generate two green mana by tapping.

This additional option is a costly, large threat which gains from lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its stats are based on the number of lands you control).

Nissa works perfectly as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability makes every Forest produce extra green. (With a Badgermole Cub, so those lands generate three green mana.) One loyalty ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters on a land, a useful effect though it doesn't stack with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, however, makes each land you control immune to destruction and lets you draw out every Forest left in the deck. If you can actually activate that ability, this typically means you win.

Badgermole Cub is a must-have in any green Avatar deck focusing on Earthbending. If you dip into red and green, you can use Bumi. This card features earthbend 4, and when it hits a player to a player, land creatures become untapped for another attack. Even though Bumi is a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is definitely going to remain one of, if not the most popular pick in the collaboration.