Riku
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 1 | 2 COMMENTS | 1636 VIEWS
Aug. 11, 2018
Another update, with a few more changes I've been wanting to make for a while.
Overwhelming Stampede out, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker in.
I had avoided adding Kiki for a long time because he seemed like just a cheesy instant-win enabler. After thinking on it for a while though, the only card in the deck he combos with is Zealous Conscripts, so I feel like having him in the deck is more of a value play. He's extremely on-theme too!
I decided to cut Overwhelming Stampede here because the two cards have the same CMC, and Stampede is really just redundancy for Craterhoof Behemoth. I don't feel like my win-condition density is reduced by making this cut either, since Kiki can actually win me the game as well.
Trygon Predator out, Nissa, Steward of Elements in.
In all the time I've had Trygon in the deck, I can't ever remember a time I've been happy casting it. To get any value from it straight away it needs haste, and removal for any truly important artifacts/enchantments usually can't wait a turn cycle.
I added Nissa based on a few lessons I learned with my first few games with the deck since the Vancouver mulligan was introduced. I needed more early ways to ensure my card quality was high, and she provides that with her +2. I also love the flexibility of the X-cost. Early game you can just cast her for 3 and make a scry/ramp machine. Late game, you can give her a ton of loyalty and start cheating in some really big stuff. I'm very excited to try her out!
Inferno Titan out, Etali, Primal Storm in.
Don't get me wrong here. I think Inferno Titan is a fantastic card. But Etali could get you anything. Even an Inferno Titan! Jokes aside, I love Etali's design and I think it fits very well into the stealing side of my deck, which is currently pretty anemic. I am starting to get a bit concerned I might not have enough creature removal in the deck now, but I'm keen to play and evaluate. I might end up putting the Titan back in.
Brutalizer Exarch out, Chord of Calling in.
Following on from adding Etali, I wanted more ways to make sure I can activate his ability. I currently have three haste enablers in the deck, but Chord will give me another option to flash him in in an opponent's end step, then untap and attack. It's also a very versatile card, and can act as another ramp spell when needed with Dryad Arbor.
Finding a cut for this was hard, but Brutalizer was one of the highest cost cards in my deck, and I often felt it had the least impact. Chord covers its creature-tutoring ability a lot better, I feel, and with the right targets in the deck can cover the non-creature removal aspect as well.
Sphinx of Uthuun out, Panharmonicon in.
This was an interesting one, as just in my last post I felt I needed more card advantage. Sphinx was just too late to the party most of the time, and it feels awful to sit in your hand when you're desperate for lands to even cast it. I think I should have removed it when I added Dig Through Time, since it gives similar card advantage, but can come out a lot earlier.
Panharmonicon acts as a second Riku, in terms of creature ETBs at least. Something I didn't really consider when the card came out was that not only does it copy the ETB of a creature, it also copies Riku's copy trigger for the creature entering. With Panharmonicon and Riku out, I can get up to six ETBs from one creature. I don't really have a feel for how much hate this card draws, but the amount of value seems insane!
Voidslime out, Mirage Mirror in.
Mirrage Mirror is perfectly on theme for this deck. It doesn't really combine with Riku that well, but it's essentially always the best permanent on the field. It can even dodge a lot of removal by turning into a land if needed! This is another card I'm very excited to play with. I think there are a ton of applications I haven't even considered yet.
Voidslime has never really done all that much in the deck I feel. I've almost never wanted to keep mana available for it, and adding Swan Song recently may have reduced my need for this effect.
I've got a few more cuts I'm still keen to make, but I need to get my hands on the cards I want first. Hopefully I'll have another update in a few weeks.