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Magic: The Gathering’s special Avatar expansion will not become widely available until later this week, however after pre-releases over the last few days, one cheap green card experienced a surge in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, this small creature drew a lot of attention. This two-power, two-toughness that costs G and 1 mana, it includes level 1 earthbending (possibly the best within the elemental mechanics available). The real boon here lies in an additional effect: If you tap a creature for mana, add an additional green mana.

When first listed, the card sold for $26.98. Post-prerelease, however, the going rate jumped to $49.66 including listings priced at sixty dollars. Why are we seeing such high costs for this cute lil guy? Mostly because of the explosive mana ramping it enables.

When it arrives the board, this creature transforms a terrain card into a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, if it is not removed, each affected land yields two mana instead of one — plus any creatures you have that generate mana.

The obvious go-to to combine with would be this one-mana elf, a low-cost creature that taps to generate G mana. But there are plenty of creatures that make mana out there. Another option is a higher-cost choice a 1/3 creature costing two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, it's simple to summon a massive high-cost threat into play early in the game. The situation escalates rapidly if you keep the pressure on after that.

By incorporating another color using this method, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that can make any color of mana. And something like Dryad of the Ilysian Grove lets you play an additional land each turn plus turns every land you control into every basic land type. Another possibility is such as a card called A Realm Reborn, costing six mana gives each permanent you control the capacity to be tapped for one mana of any color — even any creature in play.

Badgermole Cub might seem overpowered regarding boosting mana production, however how do you win for a deck like this? An often-seen solution already is this legendary creature. Its stats are set by how many lands you have, and it changes each creature you own to be Forests along with other subtypes. This means, every single creature you control is able to produce double green by tapping.

This additional option is another expensive, beefy creature which gains from lots of lands (as with the previous card, its power and toughness are based on your land total).

Nissa fits really well in this deck. Her static effect allows all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, that means each one yield three G.) Her plus ability acts as a proto-earthbend, adding counters on a land, handy but does not overlap with the cub's ability. Her ultimate, however, renders all of your lands immune to destruction and allows you to draw out every Forest left in your deck. Should you manage to use the ultimate, this typically means the game ends.

The cub is nearly mandatory for all green-based Avatar strategies built around earthbend. When branching into red-green, you can use Bumi. He has earthbend 4, and when damage is dealt in combat, each animated land become untapped and can attack again. Although this card has emerged as a popular Commander choice, this small creature will surely stay one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.