Have you ever wished to perform a “Riki” style ability every turn consistently? Do you have a dire need for a card that is quintessential to your early game? If the above two facts are true, then you may want to consider adding the Takitsubo profile to your deck.
Takitsubo originally debuted in release of the Railgun S set released back in 2013. For a simple cost of hurting yourself and tapping her, you could search your deck and add a character of her specified trait to hand. The key word to note was for Takitsubo is found in its icon for its ability type, ACT [起]. As such, Takitsubo could be performed every turn, assuming you had the appropriate resources.
The obvious benefits of the Takitsubo are quite clear. Takitsubo at her release was essentially a cheap way to constantly net resources without the cost of additional hand. Comparatively to a Riki profile which is more of a single use card, Takitsubo can repeatedly maintain advantage consistently. Often a back row card, as long as you could keep the profile safe, you have the ability to clock yourself if you’d wish to level or other reasons and still net some hand.
One of the questions you may be asking is why don’t most decks just run Takitsubo over Riki profiles instead. The main answer is simple. Takitsubo is still considered quite a rare profile with only a few sets having access to the card profile. Secondly, most Riki profiles nowadays also come with additional secondary benefits that may be more rewarding or useful. Takitsubo profiles are generally more basic and mostly provide power as their secondary ability if they have any at all.
ISC/S81-090R 裏腹あまのじゃく 田中摩美々 (center)
SHS/W71-048C クリエイターとしての道 英梨々 (right)
Interestingly, compared to the original “Takitsubo”, modern Takitsubo clones don’t generally have access to most cards in the set. Most modern Takitsubo profiles are restricted in the cards they can search or salvage for, mainly being off-traits, specified names, or certain keywords. Generally speaking, the range of cards that are obtainable through Riki profiles are bigger. However, depending on your deck build, the demerit may be minimal or ineffectual if anything.
Overall, Takitsubo profiles are amazing and add consistency to your decks. Sometimes the reach for these cards can exceed that of the generic Riki profiles available in a set depending on the Takitsubo’s parameters of reach. However, that’s not to say that they are replacements or competitors to the Riki profile. I think it’s best to consider them as alternatives that could be run alongside Riki profiles as well. Do make sure you keep note of what their hand gaining parameters are. Best of luck!