This is my optimized Riku Deck, and man is it fun to play. It is built for big competitive tables but also works for heads up matches. It has been places. It has seen things. It has won consistently for me in a variety of ways (mostly involving combat and direct damage). This deck's commander works with an elite group of mercenaries to gather help from local communities, and if it needs to call in heavy artillery it can do so. It knows how to get the resources and how to use them effectively. It is built to survive and to always be ready for action.
It sees the Red Door and it wants it Painted Black.
It is currently a creature toolbox/overload deck. The main goal is to ramp hard, put out some early threats to draw removal/help me get ahead, and then when I have enough mana to start both casting Riku and using Riku, see how I can take over the game with some big game ending plays. In reality, this deck can fly under the radar and amass a decent board state without the commander. Since he draws so much hate you have to be careful how you play him.
When I first built this deck it seemed like a cool idea, fun color combination I had not tried yet, copying seemed cool. Through many iterations I have honed this deck and enjoyed playing it many ways. The current build is set up as an optimized battlecruiser deck and not TOO miserable for everyone else. It absolutely draws hate because people know Riku can be explosive. I do not run any infinite combos (except maybe soft lock Regrowth and Time Warp and I am not aiming for alternate win cons (no Biovisionary). This deck is set up to weather board wipes and to keep dropping threats to the board until it wins. It is supplemented by a spell suite for protection, ramp, and damage/removal. Targeted removal is held for stuff that shuts me down completely or makes the game unfun for everyone. Counterspells are held back to protect my game-ending plays mostly. The copying spells/creatures are used to exploit value cards on the board from other players which keeps the games different/unique (big factor for me) and helps the deck capitalize off different metas. Copy someone's draw engine or mana rocks to help me along.
(Understanding the Copying Archetypes and subsets).
Do you like to:
- Sling spells
- Make an impact on the board
- Play politically
- Use other player's assets as your assets
- Have an answer to threats
- Make big plays
- Win
Then this deck may be for you. This deck requires a lot of threat assessment and politics, as it can easily become the archenemy due to the explosive nature of its power.
If you don't like:
- Being the archenemy
- Keeping track of crazy board states
- Not having a ton of creatures out all the time
- Combos
- Tight lines of gameplay
- Using all of your mana all the time and wanting more all the time
Then this deck is not for you. This build runs fairly tightly with specific answers for certain board states. So if you are looking for a deck that is simple- this deck may not be fore you. There are hard tutors in here and responding/sculpting the board state is key- so knowing what cards are in the deck is pretty important to piloting it effectively.
Unlike other commanders Riku is a powerhouse that generates value through copying both spells and creatures. He can be played a number of ways, but the primary builds lean either towards creatures or spells as a way to build synergy. There are other "copy" commanders that lend themselves to this approach, such as Veyran, Voice of Duality for spells, Adrix and Nev, Twincasters for counters, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces for straight up clone shenanigans. Each of them does some aspect of Riku does, and does it well. What Riku does is take the best elements of those and uses them to their max.
Some popular decks include:
- Epic Experiment - this is a spellslinger build that is geared towards landing a huge epic experiment. Lots of spell ramp, lots of big spells, but in my mind it makes him into a bit fragile. With not a ton of creatures out Riku ends up being targeted for early game creature attack triggers.
- Birthing Pod - a true creature toolbox deck. Nothing like saccing creatures but keeping their copies, then dropping cheap creatures to copy, then repeating the process. I have yet to play a true birthing pod deck with this commander but the current build is close.
- Genesis Wave - sort of the opposite of Epic Experiment, this deck leans heavy on ramp and heavy on creatures with ETB effects. With all my spells I would be afraid of whiffing if I used this.
- Gilded Drake - Mr. Steal your girl. The steal other people's creatures archetype can be brutal to other people. As someone who has had his creatures taken and hated it, I just don't like to play that way. Plus the Drake is expensive AF. No no no, Riku draws enough hate without adding combo pieces to him that really suck for other people. That's how you become the Archenemy.
Mechanics of the Deck.
The mechanics of this deck's construction follow a few guidelines:
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Avoid 5 drop cards if possible. In a perfect world you want to be able to get Riku out and you do not want to have to decide between him and another 5 drop. This limitation cuts out some fun cards, but it is a good limitation for gameplay. You seriously do not want to have to decide between casting Riku and another 5 drop if you can help it.
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Look for double or alternate effects. This deck prioritizes utility, so most of my card choices were geared towards giving me options/answers. Modal value is great, multiple points of interaction are also helpful.
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Do not be afraid of using legendary creatures. With Riku's copy ability it may seem like Legendary Creatures are not a good idea- you can't copy them! Unless you can. Sakashima the Impostor and Spark Double (nothing like copying a Spark Double that's copying a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker) make cloning legendary creatures a viable option. Further, the Legendary creatures I chose all provide insane value towards my game plan. Because of that, they also work great to draw removal instead of letting my commander eat it. Some other decks may combo/synergize more crazily than Riku, but as this one is a creature toolbox/overload build it is a little "tamer".
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Cards should impact the entire table. With this build specifically I wanted to be able to play at a table of 4 and make an impact. There are a lot of fun Riku cards that just did not do enough or focused on just one player- not in this deck. We go big in this mofo. Cards like Comet Storm and Vandalblast are perfect examples of hate that hits the whole board. Why take out one thing when you can take out many things?
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Cards should have an immediate impact. Again, there are a plethora of good cards for Riku- this deck tries to only use the best. That means cards that generate immediate value with explosive opportunities. That goes for offense and defense, as things like a copied Hornet Queen do a really good job of making even dragon decks choose someone else to swing at.
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Finding a balance between spells and creatures. Since this is meant to be the best of both sides of Riku, I am trying to find that sweet spot between powerful spells and powerful creatures. The spells are meant to supplement what my creatures are doing in this build- using ramp, tutors, and shenanigan spells to support my army. Hence- creature toolbox/overload.
Card Choices and descriptions:
The Mystical Apprenticeship.
Spellseeker and Mystical Tutor are great cards for finding answers. The tutor is the most efficient, but the Spellseeker is good too as it is a creature that can be copied multiple ways (commander, other clone spells, etc.), making it repeatedly abusable throughout the game. I kept the tutors minimal as I am looking to have options for many boardstates not just committing to one gameplan.
Brainstorm is an extremely cost-effective way to dig through my deck a few cards at a time, early game on its own or double value when my commander hits. Cheap cantrips need to be extremely cheap to be worth it, as Riku has a big target on his head and can't always copy them for me.
Mystic Retrieval is an absolutely powerhouse and great in a pinch. Especially valuable when playing against mill decks, due to the flashback. I cannot stress enough how powerful this card can be.
Finally, Time Warp is truly a magnum opus. Just a great way to end a game when I am at a slight advantage already, or it combos with Regrowth for a soft-lock on the board with extra turns. Most people are not upset when my one extra turn card comes out, especially if I do not tutor for it. I have thought about putting Temporal Mastery in its place just so I can yell "it's a miracle!", plus Time Warp is a 5 drop.
Learned Scholar.
Consecrated Sphinx flies, it helps you draw tons of cards, and I can make copies of it easily. Big enough to handle most minor-medium dragons, the Sphinx is a big body and a great effect. If that insane value is too much for someone and the sphinx eats removal, so be it. If someone else has the same sphinx out things get a bit crazy.
Deep Analysis is a solid cantrip card but with the double bonus of having a flashback cost that is very easy to pay in commander. This card can really pay off if Riku is out.
Rhystic Study is the GOAT at some kitchen tables. I personally love it, as it both taxes other players early game and provides great value as a draw engine. It is not a "sorcery/instant" but after playing this deck many ways the extra enchantment gives the deck some resilience.
Recurring Insight is two (2) forms of double trouble. 1) it can earn me tons of cards the first time around, and 2) it triggers Riku even on the rebound. I will say, this is one of the few cards that may get cut... but only because of the high CMC. When I have had it and other stuff in my hand the last few times, I did not cast it, so I almost wonder if a cheaper cantrip or different creature may take its slot at some point.
Mastery of the waves.
Talrand, Sky Summoner is a lieutenant in this deck. Synergizing well with the spellslinger aspect, he can be his own token engine with relative ease. Even just 1-2 drakes from him make a difference at a table, where having a blocker (even more, a FLYING blocker) can make others choose to send early-game attacks elsewhere. The longer he is out the more value he generates, so someone may decide to take him out. If they do, that works for our game plan of dropping a mid-late game Riku once we are ready to protect and do something with him.
Curse of the Swine EXILES. This is one of the few mass removal spells I have, and it is really targeted mass removal. This deck works like a creature/spell toolbox, and some things (like GODS) can be extremely difficult to get rid of normally. Curse of the swine handles that situation with ease.
So does Cyclonic Rift, which works as a soft board wipe and can set other players back 1-3 turns with ease. Sometimes 1-3 turns is all Riku needs to go from even to way ahead and making big plays.
Finally, Mulldrifter is another great cantrip but with a creature body. For 3, 5, 5, or 7 mana this creature can do a number of things for me- a couple cards, a few cards, a few cards and a body, a few bodies.... and it's another flyer! I'll take all the built-in evasion I can get.
Crafty Rogue.
Thada Adel, Acquisitor is an absolute unit. Never will I ever not keep her in an opening hand. She does exactly what I want her to do in this deck- acquire value from other players and provide an extreme annoyance that can be a target for removal. To keep her on theme, I usually use her to first steal other players' Sol Ring or other mana generating artifacts. In a 4 player pod there is often at least one player with an island. Sometimes players will even mana screw themselves a bit by avoiding to put out an island just to stop her from getting past. She makes people think and play around her, which is great.
Fabricate is an oh so necessary piece in my spellbook for Riku. Any artifact, making it much better than Trinket Mage, Trophy Mage, or Treasure Mage. There are only a few utility mana artifacts in my deck, but my number one target with this card is usually Lightning Greaves. If I can get that out and protect Riku, the deck pops off with ease. That being said, with other targets like Blightsteel Colossus and Phyrexian Metamorph, fabricate works both early and late game to grab creature threats too.
Copy Master.
Spark Double can too, and even copy planeswalkers, so it is double value.
Clever Impersonator is a double/triple value as he can copy any permanent.
Rite of Replication is one of the game ending spells for me, big and splashy, it can even be copied by Riku too!
Phyrexian Metamorph can copy artifacts and creatures, which is very versatile. Thematically, Riku learning about the phyrexians through the metamorph opens the door to a dark path for the his beastmaster side, and some friends/pets that not every honest mage should have. Riku's split nature is not just between creatures/spells, it is also reflections of darkness and light. Harnessing both sides in the end.
Arcane Denier.
Glen Elendra Archmage is a fae queen or should be anyway (not sure how she isn't legendary, she is an ARCHmage). What an insanely useful card. It makes my opponents think, HARD, about what I can do. She is a great protector against counters/removal, she FLIES, and she PERSISTS. She combos with Kiki-Jiki too, which is great for that extra bonus level of protection in a wizard war.
Speaking of wizard wars, you can't be in blue and not have a counterspell or two. Granted with Riku counterspells lose some value, so I do not want a ton... the ones I do have meet very specific needs.
Supreme Will is an either/or, with a situational counter but it can also be used as a cantrip.
Mana Drain is the heaviest "hard counter" I have in the deck. What can I say, Riku is my pet deck so he gets some bling. It serves the double purpose of juicing up my mana flow when stopping someone else's big play, as well as providing much needed protection as a counterspell.
Pact of Negation was almost Force of Will, but I made the decision to go with the pact because I may not always have a blue card to pitch to Force. Pact works great when everyone thinks I am tapped out, and I would expect it to come in very handy in the middle of a big play where I tapped everything out to try to end the game.
Mountain Magician.
Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs One of the few 5 drops in my deck, I am very happy to see him hit the board before Riku. Kazuul is a pillow fort, and can easily make people think twice about attacking. If they do, fine, give me some ogres to use for later! He is great for a 4 player pod as he stands up to each of them without me investing anything else into him. A lot of decks are mana hungry, so having to pay 3 to attack me early game is not usually the best decision they can make. This deck loves to play politics (because it is two-faced) and this is a great political tool.
Beetleback Chief after getting my ass kicked a few times by decks that could more easily put up a board presence it became clear to me that simply jamming Riku out asap was not the ideal game plan. The Chief creates an instant presence with or without Riku, and can be abused by other copy abilities in the deck to great effect. Again, this is me softly pillow forting but late game they could help spam the board with tokens and power an alpha strike.
Siege-Gang Commander another great goblin to save my ass in a pinch. He is a 5 drop, one of the few, but 4 bodies for 5 mana is a great value for what I need. I have yet to break his secondary ability yet, but that's just for lack of trying. I imagine there is a way to loop and copy him, then sac creatures to clear a board or finish off an opponent. Someday.
Mizzium Mortars I will take an overloaded one-sided board wipe please and thank you. Mizzium mortars is just one the line of good/great. If Riku is out then he absolutely clobbers the board dealing 8 damage, otherwise, the 4 damage can clear out a lot. These days EDH has a lot of big body threats, so if I find a better card that does what this card does in the future it could get swapped. Every once in a while you just need a board wipe.
Master of Mountains.
Nature's Nurturer.
------- That's all for now, will continue the card choice explanation and story later.
