Saiba Cryptomancer
Creature — Moonfolk Ninja
Flash
Backup 1 (When this creature enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following ability until end of turn.)
Hexproof
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- March of the Machine
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #11370
Saiba Cryptomancer gives a target creature hexproof until end of turn at instant speed for two mana — solid protection that trades one-for-one with a removal spell and keeps your key piece alive. The cost is real: two mana at instant speed is not free, and it does nothing proactive on its own.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Saiba Cryptomancer fills the role of a cheap reactive spell that shields a critical creature from targeted removal — most useful in voltron or combo shells where one creature's survival is the whole game plan. In Pauper, hexproof at instant speed is a legitimate tool in tempo and aggro lists that need to protect a threat through a counterspell-heavy environment. Modern and Pioneer have access to Heroic triggers and aura strategies where Saiba Cryptomancer doubles as a protection spell and a cantrip-adjacent enabler, though dedicated decks usually prefer Slip Out the Back or Tyvar's Stand for the extra upside. Legacy and Vintage move too fast for a two-mana do-nothing at sorcery-equivalent pacing to matter.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Saiba Cryptomancer is deep bulk — easy to pick up as a playset without a second thought. Bulk commons at this price point rarely move unless a specific format breaks them, so treat it as a pure utility pickup, not a hold.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.