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the popular card game’s special Avatar expansion isn't set to hit the general market in the coming days, yet following early access events over the last few days, a low-cost green spell experienced a surge in price.

Throughout the spoiler season, the earthbending cub attracted significant interest. This two-power, two-toughness priced at G and 1 mana, the card includes the Earthbend 1 ability (possibly the strongest among the four bending abilities in the set). Its key advantage here lies in an additional effect: Whenever mana is generated by tapping a creature, it provides bonus green mana.

When first listed, the card sold below $30. Post-prerelease, though, its value jumped to nearly $50 with at least one listed priced at sixty dollars. What explains premium pricing for this cute lil guy? Primarily thanks to the incredible mana acceleration it provides.

When it arrives the board, the cub converts a land so it becomes a creature granting it earthbend. And with that second ability, if it is not removed, those lands generates double mana — along with mana-producing creatures on your side that produce resources.

The obvious go-to for synergy would be 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 a 1/3 creature costing two mana in comparison.

Deploying terrain, creatures that tap for mana, plus the cub, it's simple to summon an enormous and very expensive threat into play within a few turns. The situation escalates out of control with continued aggression from there.

When adding a secondary color in this strategy, cards like Fuel Tank Feaster, Ilysian Caryatid, and Paradise Druid work perfectly that generate any mana color. And something like a useful enchantment creature lets you play another terrain per turn as well as turns all of your lands providing all land types. It's also worth trying something like the enchantment A Realm Reborn, which for six mana grants every card you own the power to be tapped for one mana of any color — which covers all creatures under your control.

This card might seem overpowered when it comes to accelerating your resources, yet how do you win in such a strategy? An often-seen solution already is Ashaya. Its power and toughness match the number of lands you control, and it changes each creature you own into Forests as well as their other types. Essentially, all your creatures you control may tap for two G if used for mana.

Another creature provides a high-cost, powerful body that thrives with a high land count (like Ashaya, its power and toughness match your land total).

Nissa, Who Shakes the World fits really well as a go-to Planeswalker. One of her abilities allows Forest lands produce extra green. (Combined with earthbend, so all earthbend forests yield three G.) Her main ability is essentially an early earthbend, putting +1/+1 counters on terrain, which is great but does not overlap with earthbending. Her ultimate, however, renders all of your lands unbreakable and allows you to put onto the battlefield all the remaining forests in your deck. Once you trigger this power, it’s pretty much the game ends.

This card is a must-have in any green-based Avatar strategies that use the earthbend mechanic. By including red and green, consider Bumi Unleashed. It possesses earthbend 4, and if damage is dealt to an opponent, land creatures untap and can attack again. Even though Bumi is a beloved leader, this small creature is definitely going to remain one of the most, maybe the popular pick in the collaboration.