Commander
Budget
This decks budget is 25€ using cardmarkets shopping wizard on the European Union area. The total price without basic lands was 20,44 € on Sat 23.04.2022.
Deck list and Archidekt link
You can open and copy the deck list from here and add to your own cardmarket order for example. You can also try the deck with Archidekt.
Rionya, Fire Dancer
Rionya is interesting commander, benefitting strongly from instants and sorceries and needs creatures as well. This makes Rionya very versatile, as you can build any kind of creature heavy deck, and have Rionya as a viable wincon.
Strategy
This Rionya build is aggressive deck, focusing to remove threats regularly and slowing down the opponents ramping with artifact removal. Ramping is focused on artifacts and treasures, and hitting the lands regularly.
Early game
T1 to T3 is the early game. In the early game we focus on artifacts and slow down the control decks with artifact removal, like Raze the Effigy, By Force and Plundering Barbarian. Control decks are Rionyas great archetype, as red has limited options to protect creatures or counter spells.
Hitting every land drop is important in the early game, so take advantage of the cantrips whenever possible, to find the lands and possibly hit one of the mana rocks.
Mulligans: The deck runs 33 lands, as a budget version. The amount is relatively low compared to many other budget decks, and the cantrips are there to balance this and giving an advantage when Rionya is out on the battlefield. Good starting hand has a minimum of 2 lands, and some way to draw, loot or exile cards.
Great early game drops: Impulsive Pilferer, Goblin Instigator, Runaway Steam-kin, Wily Goblin any of the mana rocks.
Mid game
T3 to T6 is the mid game. In the mid game we are able to cast out Rionya, but most likely we don't have any great payoffs for Rionya ability. To lower the chances for a target removal, we should wait for at least one removal spells to be cast before getting Rionya out, as the commander tax is back breaking for the deck.
Most likely we are running out of cards, so using the cantrips to find the necessary usable creatures is a wise move. The deck runs a few flashback spells to take the advantage of the graveyard as a resource too, like Ox of Agonas, Ignite the Future and Visions of Ruins. If we are able to cast any of these from the hand it is always worth it.
Great threats and removal eaters for mid game are: Breya's Apprentice, Pashali Mons, Scion of Opulence, Thopter Engineer and Beetleback Chief.
Late game
After T6 is the late game. In the late game all players life points have started to go down, and possibly Rionya is out, or Rionya is still on the command zone. We want to get Rionya out in the late game and the ritual spells like Seething Song, Mana Geyser and Rousing Refrain are great for this, giving us Rionya for free and an extra one for the Rionyas ability.
As Rionya is in the center of the deck, we want to protect her as well as possible. This is done with changing targets of the spells and counter spells, they are: Tibalt's Trickery (the best), Red Elemental Blast, Pyroblast and Reroute.
Great late game threats: Ox of Agonas, Mindclaw Shaman, Emrakul's Hatcher and Rapacious Dragon.
Winning the game
This budget build has several wincons: straight up burn with massive ETB effects, a flood of treasures and recasting spells and creating a horde of tokens and attacking with them.
The strongest wincons are Scourge of Valkas and Fanatic of Mogis. Scourge is able to end almost any game with only 4 copies, as the token copies triggers from self entering and they also see the other tokens entering. 4 entering copies will create 16 damage triggers, with each having damage of 5, in total 16*5 = 8+ points of damage to any target! And the Fanatic is not far either, as the copies do increase the devotion.
Strong wincons with Rionya: Scourge of Valkas, Fanatic of Mogis, Harmonic Prodigy, Invoke Calamity, Tectonic Giant and Rapacious One.
Who is the deck for?
If you enjoy beating your opponents with huge copy armies and don't lose your head with multiple triggers AND enjoy creature decks Rionya is a solid mono red commander, with very broad possibilities.
Rionya might not be for you if you enjoy multiple colors, or enjoy more reacting gamestyle, like with control decks.
Looking for Upgrades?
This deck was made with 25€ budget on Cardmarket. This leaves huuuge opportunities to any direction, and these are some recommendations to consider.
S Tier upgrades
Terror of the Peaks, Mizzix Mastery, Jeska's Will, Goblin Sharpshooter
A-tier upgrades
Birgi, God of Storytelling, Goblin Chainwhirler, Strionic Resonator, Imperial Recruiter, Obsidian Charmaw, Cursed Mirror, Circuit Mender
B-tier upgrades
Scalding Salamander, Altar of Dementia, Krark, the Thumbless, Shenanigans, Abrade, Solemn Simulacrum
