Cards to Watch: Seasoned Cryomancer, Enlightened Confidant, Elves of Deep Shadow

Seasoned Cryomancer rose from 12.20 to 20.06 tix between October 26 and November 2, 2026, while its paper price fell from $9.08 to $6.82, according to MTGJSON's prices.

Enlightened Confidant received 4 video mentions from October 28 to November 4, 2026, against 1 in the preceding 7 days. Elves of Deep Shadow appeared in 8 of 217 published Pauper lists for the week of October 26, 2026, up from 1 of 188 the week before.

Seasoned Cryomancer

Released on October 2, 2026, Seasoned Cryomancer is a three-mana creature that loots 2 cards and can tap opposing creatures, adding stun counters, when you discard nonland cards. Later, spending 5 mana to exile it from your graveyard draws 2 cards. In Reanimator, the first ability puts targets into the graveyard while buying time against attackers.

It appeared in 27 published decks from October 28 to November 4, 2026. pepeteam played 2 copies alongside Overlord of the Balemurk and Winternight Stories, finishing 9–1 in first place at the October 27, 2026, Standard Challenge 32, as MTGO's published list shows.

The MTGO climb extends beyond a single week. Its October 5 quotes were $8.77 and 6.57 tix; by November 2, 2026, paper had fallen to $6.82 while MTGO had reached 20.06 tix. Cardmarket stood at €7.96 that day.

It is expendable in some builds. In an October 23 deck update, a Grixis planeswalker Reanimator player said they cut Seasoned Cryomancer and Way of the Cryomancer because they felt clunky, with the build struggling against aggro and conventional control. We put Seasoned Cryomancer first for its tournament use and MTGO move, but further cuts for speed would weaken the demand behind that climb.

Enlightened Confidant

New in Reality Fracture, released on October 2, 2026, Enlightened Confidant is a two-mana lifelinker that turns life gained into end-step card selection and sometimes an extra card. It appeared in 22 published decks from October 28 to November 4, 2026.

Deathmaxx won the October 28, 2026, Standard Challenge 16 at 7–1 with 4 copies, according to MTGO's winning list. Gabriel Nassif's November 4 decklist also used 4. Ashlizzlle said on October 28, 2026, that Enlightened Confidant had established itself in the main deck of most Lifegain lists.

Its November 2 quotes were $7.43, €5.34 and 2.20 tix. The October 26, 2026, comparison was $7.95 and 2.06 tix; on October 5, 2026, it was $7.28 and 1.15 tix. MTGO has nearly doubled over that longer window, while paper has barely moved.

Its recovery role explains the interest. An October 14 player guide on r/spikes describes holding Enlightened Confidant back to rebuild after Starcage. You keep a source of cards out of the sweeper rather than commit every creature to the battlefield.

The performance comparison is less enthusiastic. MyMTGO's October 28 card breakdown records wins in 56.2% of games when Enlightened Confidant appeared versus 57.3% when it did not. We rate the repeated four-copy registrations above the video attention, but sustained demand depends on Lifegain continuing to value that rebuilding role.

Elves of Deep Shadow

Oceansoul92 played 2 Elves of Deep Shadow in Spy Combo and finished seventh at 5–2 in the November 1, 2026, Pauper Challenge 32, according to MTGO's published list. Its job is to supply the mana for Balustrade Spy. The DeckGuides strategy guide describes using mana creatures and land-search effects to remove lands from the library, then resolving Balustrade Spy and returning Lotleth Giant with Dread Return.

Its November 2 prices were $4.45 and 0.03 tix, with Cardmarket at €3.07. On October 26, 2026, it was $4.41 and 0.03 tix; on October 5, 2026, $4.47 and 0.03 tix. The increased play has produced no meaningful price response in either market.

Its recent Pauper use is concentrated in Spy Combo, and the mana package has a specific weakness. In an October 9 discussion on r/Pauper, a commenter warned that Forest plus Elves of Deep Shadow is risky against Lava Dart. Adoption beyond that single shell would give its demand a broader base.