Riku of Many Paths Commander Deck Guide

Last updated on April 23, 2024

Riku of Many Paths | Illustration by Denys Tsiperko

Hello planeswalkers! Or should I say, howdy! We’re traveling to the once uninhabited plane of Thunder Junction. This new world is chock-full of deserts, outlaws, and other Wild West tropes. This has now become a plane for outlaws to hide out and plot. I’m not sure yet which side Riku of Many Paths is on, but I do know that it may become a wonderful Temur commander.

I have no connection to this new plane or Riku, but I’m excited to see Riku of Many Paths in action. In my opinion, this commander may be able to shake up any of your stagnant Commander games. It’ll focus on an interesting card type while using some tried and true strategies.

Let’s see what this cowboy-wizard can do!

The Deck

Return the Favor | Illustration by Eli Minaya

WotC will be so proud of this one! This deck is a wizards–typal build that focuses on using modal instant and sorcery spells. You’ll have a ton of interaction possibilities while also ramping up to some powerful payoffs. Who doesn’t love choices? It all starts with this unique commander, Riku of Many Paths, in your command zone!

The Commander: Riku of Many Paths

Riku of Many Paths is a commander with a Temur () color identity, a human wizard that leans into the spellslinger, storm, or burn playstyle. Originally printed in Outlaws of Thunder Junction, Riku of Many Paths is the first MTG card outside an Un-set to have text that directly focuses on modal spells. These are spells that give you some sort of choice on what action you’d like to take. These spells have always been popular for their versatility, and include many popular Commander staples like guild charms, the Commands cycles, and modal removal spells. Riku of Many Paths is a great commander because of its cheap mana value as a commander, massive amount of interactions, and unique text.

It's worth pointing out that a “modal spell” specifically means a spell with a bulleted list of options and text instructing you to choose one or more mode. Unfortunately, kicker cards, cycling cards, and so one aren't technically modal according to the rules.

The Creatures

In this deck, you have a few different kinds of creatures, with some overlap of course. You want wizards with strong synergy, ramp, or mana support, and creatures that interact well with noncreature spells.

The core of the creatures is made up of wizards. You have some wizard synergies with creatures like Harmonic Prodigy, some board influencers like Talrand, Sky Summoner, and aggressors like Adeliz, the Cinder Wind. You have plenty of wizards that can have deadly effects at different stages of the game.

To support the wizards and noncreature spells, you have some ramp and mana cards. Birds of Paradise and Goblin Electromancer are no-brainers. On top of those two cards, Baral, Chief of Compliance is included to lessen your instant and sorcery casting costs, as well as to give you some more card draw when countering spells.

Alongside the wizards, there are plenty of great creatures to take advantage of the instants and sorceries played. Cards like Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch, Kalamax, the Stormsire, and Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch take full advantage of all the instants and sorceries played. One non-wizard creature that stands out is Docent of Perfection because it's easy to transform in this deck and it gives great advantages once it has.

The Instants and Sorceries

The bread and butter of this deck are the modal instants and sorceries. The new spree mechanic from Outlaws of Thunder Junction plays a key role in this deck. Cards like Phantom Interference and Three Steps Ahead help you to control the game and trigger Riku of Many Paths’s abilities. Spree cards like Great Train Heist and Return the Favor help to increase the deadliness of this deck.

As the game progresses, this deck can get more deadly with bomb cards like Mob Rule and Sublime Epiphany, or from activating more modes of the modal cards.

The Noncreature Permanents

The noncreature permanents pack an extreme punch once combined with the wizards, instants, and sorceries.

The one battle in the deck, Invasion of Segovia, helps your defenses as well as casting noncreature spells once it transforms into Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia.

The big enchantments, Shark Typhoon and Arcane Bombardment, turn your instants and sorceries into bomb tokens and storm effects. The smaller enchantments aren’t lesser by any means. Fiery Inscription is a good pinging outlet, while Case of the Ransacked Lab is a wonderful draw outlet.

Included in this deck are two popular mana rocks, Sol Ring and Arcane Signet. The killer artifact in this deck is Mindsplice Apparatus. You can play it at flash speed to protect it and each turn your spells get cheaper and cheaper.

The Mana Base

Besides the mana rocks, the mana base includes many dual lands and a few triomes to ensure you have the correct mana base and can stay on-curve. Riptide Laboratory and Alchemist's Refuge are additions to help protect your wizards and let you cast spells at instant speed, respectively. It's also great to have two of Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty‘s channel lands in Boseiju, Who Endures and Otawara, Soaring City for some extra removal if needed.

The Strategy

The general strategy for this deck is to establish a wizard board presence and then use your modal spells and Riku of Many Paths to extract huge benefits from your interactions. Matches follow a general pattern, with many different possible outcomes.

The first hope is to set up some ramp cards like Goblin Electromancer and get Riku of Many Paths out quickly. In the middle rounds, you can sit back and control with cards like Prismari Command or set up your big interactions with cards like Ojer Pakpatiq, Deepest Epoch. In the end, hopefully, you can take full advantage of cards like Sorcerer Class or Lier, Disciple of the Drowned to crush your opponents.

Combos and Interactions

This deck is all about the interactions and combos! There are going to be too many to list, and maybe even some of you smart readers have noticed some that I haven’t. I’ll just highlight a few that I think are crucial to getting some victories.

The main combo is Riku of Many Paths’s triggered abilities from casting modal spells. Here's an example of a simple interaction: When you attack with Riku and blockers are declared, play Metamorphic Blast with the two additional costs for a total of 5 mana. You can combat trick the blocker and give Riku trample, while also drawing cards and creating tokens. The interactions are quite versatile for whatever you need at that moment.

Aside from the commander, I like cards like Fiery Inscription or Guttersnipe paired with Arcane Bombardment. On each turn you play your first instant or sorcery, you can exile an instant or sorcery from your graveyard and cast all the copies exiled with Arcane Bombardment. The fact that all these exiled spells can be cast each turn transforms your pinging permanents into absolute damage factories.

One last combo I want to highlight is between Clan Defiance and Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia. The idea is to fill your battlefield with creature tokens, transform Invasion of Segovia, and use convoke to deal a ton of direct damage with Clan Defiance. This probably shouldn’t be your main strategy, but I think it’s a fun combination.

Rule 0 Violations Check

Depending on the group, I know some people will have a problem with Sol Ring. It’s so ubiquitous and creates such a rush for mana that it can make some games unfun. There are options like a Rule 0 that you can’t play a Sol Ring until turn 3.

Your friends might also want to discuss the infinite possibility between Sublime Epiphany and Naru Meha, Master Wizard.  Rule 0 discussions are up to each group and may take on many different forms.

Budget Options

We aren’t all made of money, so let’s get rid of some of these pricey cards and look for some alternatives.

I think they’re worth it, but Boseiju, Who Endures and Otawara, Soaring City can be a bit expensive. Include more basic lands or some dual lands like Training Center or Karplusan Forest.

For expensive creature cards like Roaming Throne or Veyran, Voice of Duality, you can use some lesser typal cards like Naban, Dean of Iteration or magecraft cards like Archmage Emeritus.

To reduce the price of some of your spells like Jeska's Will or Cryptic Command, you can use some alternatives like Pick Your Poison or Titania's Command.

Other Builds

Let’s take a look at a few alternatives if you aren’t feeling the wizards.

You may just want fewer creatures and more modal instants and sorceries to cast. You can remove all but a few of the wizards in the deck and add spells like Brutal Expulsion, Drown in Dreams, Urza's Command or Incendiary Command. This ensures you’ll get more triggers with Riku of Many Paths and can worry less about your opponents’ removal.

Riku of Many Paths can also fit into some decent Temur token-generating decks. Use your instants and sorceries to create a strong board presence with cards like Esix, Fractal Bloom, Faldorn, Dread Wolf Herald, and See Double.

Round Up

Arcane Bombardment | Illustration by Marta Nael

I know you have Many Paths when choosing and building a Commander deck. Riku of Many Paths can fit solidly into some established play styles, and even pave the way for a new style. Get all your modal spells ready and jump into the battle with Riku of Many Paths at the helm.

Thank you for taking the time to check out this deck guide. If you want more Commander help or content check out all the wonderful EDH articles on Draftsim.com, especially about EDH, cEDH, and decks. Please follow us on X/Twitter, and join the official Draftsim Discord to keep up with the community.

May your draw be quick and your shot always accurate.