In Commander, there are a ton of different fun and powerful archetypes to choose from. Whether you’re a fan of going tall with burly creatures, going wide with tokens, or slinging spells instead, there’s something for everyone. Interestingly, there are even Commanders that incentivize players to blend strategies together. Riku of Two Reflections is a great example of a legend that gets its strength through its flexibility, and he even leaves the door open for some nifty infinite combos.
MTG Riku of Two Reflections
Originally printed back in Commander 2011, Riku of Two Reflections still has a lot of utility in EDH. This Human Wizard gets nearly all of its value from its two triggered abilities that mirror each other. While there are other Commanders out there that can copy creatures or noncreature spells, Riku gives you the best of both worlds.
With fewer limitations, you’re free to fill your deck with a healthy mix of instants, sorceries, and creatures that are worth copying. Extra turn spells from Time Warp to Expropriate are among the strongest spells to copy. Similarly, making copies of fully kicked spells like Rite of Replication can also pull you super far ahead.
When it comes to creatures, your best bet is to pair Riku with creatures that have potent enters effects. From Acidic Slime to Etali, Primal Conqueror, there is no shortage of options here. Given the range of high-impact spells you’ll be playing, Archaeomancer and other similar effects also make for welcome inclusions.
Additionally, any token doubler like Parallel Lives and Adrix and Nev, Twincasters lets you get extra mileage out of Riku’s second triggered ability. Throw in bombs that make tokens when they enter, such as Avenger of Zendikar or Astral Dragon, and you’ll pull far ahead in no time.
As powerful as these lines of play are once you get your engine rolling, it’s worth noting that setting things up takes time. Riku isn’t the most efficient Commander, and both of its abilities require additional mana input to maximize.
Obviously, utilizing ramp spells from Growth Spiral to Cultivate goes a long way, especially since these cards are totally fine to copy when topdecked late. It’s also beneficial to play Lightning Greaves and other efficient protection spells to make it more likely you get to untap with your Commander.
On top of that, though, effects that cheat creatures into play for cheap make it easier to abuse Riku’s second triggered ability. Creatures with cheap Evoke or Warp costs like Mulldrifter and Quantum Riddler synergize perfectly with Riku. Notably, because Riku can copy creatures that enter even if they weren’t cast, Sneak Attack and other cards that let you bypass enormous casting costs make for strong additions. Even blink effects like Conjurer’s Closet have plenty of value in a Riku deck.
Infinite Combos
For anyone interested in taking things a step further, there are a couple of elite infinite combos that you can pull off with Riku at the helm. One combo that makes winning nearly guaranteed involves taking infinite turns. All you need is Riku in play, along with Narset’s Reversal and any extra turn spell in hand, such as Time Warp.
Once you have these tools rolled up, start by casting Time Warp. This will trigger Riku’s first ability, but you don’t need to copy Time Warp yet. Instead, with Time Warp still on the stack, you can hold priority and cast Narset’s Reversal with Time Warp as a target.
This will trigger Riku, allowing you to copy Narset’s Reversal and target the original still on the stack. The copy will resolve first, thus returning Narset’s Reversal to your hand. Once the copy resolves, you’ll get to return Time Warp to your hand as well and take an extra turn. With the requisite combo pieces back in hand, you get to repeat this process during each extra turn.
Beyond infinite turns combos, there’s also a simple way to generate infinite mana. This time, you’ll be maximizing Riku’s second ability in conjunction with Palinchron. The goal is to cast Palinchron with Riku in play, choosing to make a token copy.
Assuming you have at least seven mana in play, you’ll net 14 mana combined from both Palinchron triggers. Conveniently, the cost to put Palinchron back into your hand, recast it, and copy it totals to 13 mana. This way, executing these same steps over and over nets you infinite mana as well as infinite token copies of Palinchron.
Falling Under the Radar
Despite being a fun Commander with some powerful synergies and combos available, Riku remains quite underplayed. According to EDHREC, fewer than 5,000 EDH decks feature Riku as a Commander. Meanwhile, even though Riku has some applications in Kalamax, the Stormsire decks as a spell copier, he shows up in the 99 in less than 3,000 Commander decks.
Although there’s no denying that Riku is a bit mana-intensive by today’s standards, the Wizard’s versatility and upside still make him a decent build-around. With copies available for purchase under $5.00, Riku hardly breaks the bank, either. Consider giving this dual threat a chance to shine at your next EDH event.
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