Riku
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 1 | 2 COMMENTS | 1636 VIEWS
June 22, 2021
Big update for CMR/STX/MH2!
Dack's Duplicate out, Mythos of Illuna in. I realised Mythos of Illuna is basically another Clever Impersonator, so I wanted to take out the worst clone in my deck for it. I think it was between Dack's Duplicate, Phyrexian Metamorph, and Altered Ego. I had previously thought spells that made token copies weren't good because I can't copy the creatures they make with Riku - but I completely missed that I can just copy the spell itself instead! Mythos also has some added fighting utility, though not on copied versions of the spell.
Since I wanted Dack's Duplicate for my Marchesa, the Black Rose deck, it made it an easy cut!
Chromatic Lantern out, Repudiate / Replicate in. With the addition of Dryad of the Elysian Grove and Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth, I think my manabase can deal with removing the lantern. Repudiate / Replicate is a card I've had my eye on for a while. It adds a useful niche ability counter while still having a good fail case of copying a creature.
Underworld Breach out, Solve the Equation in. Breach is an excellent card, but I found myself thinking how often it would be much better than (for example) Regrowth or Eternal Witness. Given that I also wanted to put breach into my new Extus, Oriq Overlord Flip deck, it seemed logical to cut it. Solve the Equation seems like a very nice value piece, and while I don't like unrestricted tutors too much, StE seems like a good fit for the deck.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker out, Time Warp in. Kiki is a removal magnet, and unless it's comboing off with Zealous Conscripts, it doesn't get much value in this deck in the short time it sticks for. Time Warp, on other hand, just went into the deck because I think the card is gorgeous.
Sol Ring out, Jeska's Will in. I've been trying to remove artifacts from the deck for a while, and Sol Ring has been a hard one to part with. I've justified it in that I need mainly coloured mana, which Sol Ring doesn't help with, and even when you have Sol Ring early it tends not to be much fun. Jeska's Will has two great modes, either of which are awesome to copy - the fact you get both modes when Riku is out is just insane.
Ingot Chewer out, Masked Vandal in. Vandal is a little harder to use than Chewer, but it has more targets and a lower cost to stick around. Plus it's a Wizard, which is a theme I'm trying to amp up in the deck, while still keeping the Elemental type I put Ingot Chewer in to take advantage of.
Urban Evolution out, Eureka Moment in. Eureka moment draws one card less, but costs one less and is an instant instead of a sorcery - which I think is a fair upgrade.
Cascade Bluffs out, Volcanic Island in. I picked up a HP Volc, and had to run it in the deck! Cascade Bluffs felt a little finicky to me, and I didn't want to cut too many basics, so it was the cut. I may remove another basic to put the bluffs back in once I've had a chance to play with the deck a bit more.
Mountain out, Taiga in. Same deal with this Taiga! Except it's SP, and I did decide to take a basic out :P
Forest out, Spire Garden in. I got an expedition foil Spire Garden with my ZNR cards, and it's been needing to go into the deck for a while.
Forest out, Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth in. I got both an old border foil and an extended art Yavimaya in my MH2 packs. I've run with the extended art for now because I think it fits the deck better, but I might switch it up later!
Flooded Strand out, Scalding Tarn in. I got the tarn in an MH2 booster as well, so replacing an off-colour fetch with it is an obvious (though minor) upgrade.
Misty Rainforest out, Misty Rainforest in. I pulled the etched foil old border and chucked it in for pimp value!
One upcoming change - Panharmonicon out, Harmonic Prodigy in. Harmonic Prodigy solves a lot of the problems I had with Panharmonicon, while only reducing utility a little by restricting types to Wizards and Shamans. It still copies Riku triggers, which is a lot of why I had Parnharmonicon. It gets some (but not all) creature ETBs for me now. However, the upsides of being fetchable with creature tutors, and more importantly, copiable with Riku are much more important. I don't have a copy yet, but I will put it in as soon as I get it :)