Adelaide burst Richmond's bubble with a 76-point belting on Sunday to become the AFL's only unbeaten side.
The Crows won 21.14 (140) to 10.6 (64) at Adelaide Oval, ruthlessly dishing out the Tigers' first loss of the season.
Coupled with Collingwood's upset win against Geelong, the Crows are now perched alone at the top.
Adelaide captain Taylor Walker booted five goals and his deputy Rory Sloane (three goals, 33 touches) was superb as Richmond folded after a promising start.
The Tigers, with captain Trent Cotchin influential, led 6.3 to 5.0 at quarter-time after a fast-paced opening.
But Adelaide's feted attack then clicked into gear, kicking 13 of the next 14 goals in the game.
The Crows' onslaught started in a powerful second quarter which returned 6.6 to Richmond's one lonely goal - Walker slotting three for the half.
With their midfield gaining ascendancy, Adelaide took a 27-point lead into the long break before rapidly killing off the Tigers in the third term.
The Crows, delighting their parochial 51,069-strong crowd, piled on seven goals to none in a devastating half-hour.
Adelaide's Sloane, Matt Crouch (38 disposals), Brad Crouch (25 possessions) and Rory Atkins (23 touches) were prolific ball-winners in a dominant onball brigade.
And Crow defenders Rory Laird (34 disposals), Jake Lever and Brodie Smith controlled Richmond's attack, which was starved of chances after quarter-time.
The Tigers mustered just one scoring shot - Jack Riewoldt's second goal - from quarter-time until Kane Lambert kicked a goal in the 34th minute of the third term.
Lambert battled gamely and gathered 24 disposals while skipper Cotchin (26 disposals) was overwhelmed in the midfield.
Teammate Dustin Martin's 24-possessions lacked usual impact and Richmond's defence - which entered the game having conceded the least points in the league - leaked heavily against the Crows' attacking might.
Adelaide has kicked more than 100 points in each of their six consecutive wins as they prolong the club's best-ever start to a season.