One of the Avatar-themed cutest collectible cards is a powerful little force.

Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to get a wider release before the end of the week, but due to early access events over the last few days, an affordable green creature experienced a surge in value.

Throughout the spoiler season, Badgermole Cub drew widespread focus. A 2/2 requiring a single green and one generic mana, Badgermole Cub features level 1 earthbending (perhaps the strongest of the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage with this card is an additional effect: If mana is generated by tapping a creature, add an additional green mana.

At its cheapest, the card could be purchased for $26.98. Post-prerelease, though, its value has shot up to nearly $50 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. What explains such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mainly due to the rapid resource generation it can produce.

As it hits play, this creature turns one land so it becomes a creature with earthbend. And with that second ability, as long as it stays in play, those lands yields two mana instead of one — along with any creatures you have which tap for mana.

A clear choice for maximum effect includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for one green mana. But many alternative mana dorks available. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more with stats 1/3 costing two mana as an alternative.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, it's simple to summon a very big and very expensive threat on the board within a few turns. And things just keep spiraling exponentially if you keep the pressure on from there.

When adding another color with this approach, cards like these mana-fixing creatures are all great options which produce any color of mana. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove allows you to put another terrain per turn plus makes all of your lands so they count as all basics. You can also consider something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, at a six-mana investment provides all of your permanents the capacity to produce any color mana — which covers any creature you have on the board.

Badgermole Cub may be OP regarding boosting mana production, however what closes out the game with this archetype? One obvious and popular answer is this legendary creature. Its stats match your land count, plus it turns your non-token creatures to be Forests along with other subtypes. Essentially, each creature you control can produce double green when tapped.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that benefits from many terrain cards (like Ashaya, its stats are based on how many lands you have).

Nissa is an excellent fit as a go-to Planeswalker. Her passive ability makes all Forests tap for one more G. (If you have the cub, this results in those lands produce triple green.) One loyalty ability functions like an early earthbend, adding counters on terrain, handy though it doesn't stack with earthbend. Her ultimate, however, makes your entire land base immune to destruction and lets you search for all the remaining forests from your library. If you can actually activate the ultimate, this typically means you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential for any kind of decks using green and Avatar focusing on the earthbend mechanic. When branching into red and green, you can use this legendary card. He has earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt to a player, all land creatures are ready again for another attack. Even though Bumi is a fan favorite Commander, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the desired card in the collaboration.