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the popular card game’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to get a wider release before the end of the week, but following pre-releases recently, one cheap green card has already exploded in market worth.

Even during previews, this small creature drew widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness priced at one green and one colorless mana, the card features the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the best among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon with this card comes from another power: If you tap a creature for mana, you gain one extra green mana.

At its cheapest, this card was available for $26.98. After the pre-release weekend, though, the going rate escalated above $45 including listings priced at sixty dollars. The reason for premium pricing for this little creature? Mainly because of the explosive mana ramping it enables.

When it arrives the board, the cub transforms a land to a creature land that has earthbending. And with that second ability, as long as it remains on the board, each affected land produces twice the mana — along with any creatures on your side which tap for mana.

A clear choice to combine with includes the classic Llanowar Elves, a low-cost creature which can be tapped for a green resource. However there are plenty of creatures that make mana in the game. Druid of the Cowl is a higher-cost choice that’s a 1/3 costing two mana in comparison.

By playing lands, creatures that tap for mana, alongside this card, you can easily get a massive pricey monster on the board early in the game. The situation escalates rapidly if you keep the pressure on from that point.

If you dip into a secondary color in this strategy, examples including Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid are all great options that generate all five colors. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play one extra land per turn as well as makes every land you control providing all land types. You can also consider something like a card called A Realm Reborn, which for six mana gives each permanent you control the ability to be tapped for a mana of any type — including any creature under your control.

This card could be too strong in terms of accelerating your resources, but how do you win for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice already is Ashaya, Soul of the Wild. Its power and toughness are set by your land count, and it changes your non-token creatures to be Forests in addition to their other types. In other words, each creature you control may generate two green mana by tapping.

This additional option provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with lots of lands (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness are equal to how many lands you have).

Nissa fits really well as a staple. Her passive ability causes Forest lands produce extra green. (If you have the cub, this results in all earthbend forests yield three G.) Her plus ability acts as a form of land animation, adding counters on a land, handy but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, though, grants each land you control unbreakable and allows you to put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests from your library. If you can actually activate this power, this typically means you win.

Badgermole Cub is pretty much essential in any green-based Avatar strategies that use Earthbending. When branching into red and green, you can use Bumi. This card features level 4 earthbending, plus if he deals combat damage to an opponent, all land creatures become untapped for another attack. While that version has emerged as a fan favorite Commander, the cute little Badgermole Cub is set to be one of, if not the most desired card from this expansion.