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MTG’s Avatar crossover set isn't set to become widely available before the end of the week, however following prerelease weekends this past weekend, a low-cost green spell saw a sharp rise in value.

From the initial reveals, this small creature garnered widespread focus. This two-power, two-toughness that costs a single green and one generic mana, it has the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the best among the elemental mechanics available). The real boon here comes from its second ability: If mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

At its cheapest, this card could be purchased below $30. Following the early events, though, its value escalated to nearly $50 with at least one listed for sale at $60.00. The reason for Vivi prices for this little creature? Mostly thanks to the explosive mana ramping it can produce.

As it hits play, the cub turns a terrain card so it becomes a creature with earthbend. Combined with its other power, while it stays in play, those lands produces twice the mana — along with any creatures on your side which tap for mana.

A clear choice for maximum effect would be the classic Llanowar Elves, an inexpensive 1/1 that taps to generate a green resource. Yet many other mana generation creatures in the game. Druid of the Cowl costs a bit more a 1/3 creature for two mana as an alternative.

Using land cards, dorks that generate resources, and Badgermole Cub, it's simple to summon an enormous pricey monster into play by round three or four. Momentum builds rapidly by maintaining dominance from there.

By incorporating a secondary color in this strategy, examples including these mana-fixing creatures are excellent picks that generate any mana color. Additionally, Dryad of the Ilysian Grove enables playing an additional land every round AND transforms every land you control so they count as all basics. You can also consider something like this six-mana enchantment, costing six mana gives each permanent you control the capacity to tap and generate any color mana — which covers all creatures under your control.

This card may be OP in terms of boosting mana production, however what closes out the game for a deck like this? A common and powerful choice has been Ashaya. Power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own Forests as well as other subtypes. This means, every single creature in play may produce double green when tapped.

Harmonious Grovestrider is another expensive, beefy creature that thrives with a high land count (similar to Ashaya, its power and toughness match your land total).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. Her static effect allows all Forests generate an additional green mana. (With a Badgermole Cub, this results in all earthbend forests generate three green mana.) Her plus ability is essentially a form of land animation, adding counters on a land, handy but does not overlap with earthbend. Her -8 ability, however, renders your entire land base immune to destruction enabling you to search for all the remaining forests in your deck. Once you trigger this power, this typically means the game ends.

This card is nearly mandatory for all green Avatar deck built around Earthbending. When branching into red-green, consider Bumi. It possesses level 4 earthbending, and when it hits a player in combat, all land creatures become untapped and can attack again. Even though Bumi has emerged as a popular Commander choice, the cub is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the Avatar set.