Orzhov Control or Orzhov Ketramose is the most recent iteration of a late-game Midrange archetype focused on the interaction of Ketramose, the New Dawn with various cards that exile permanents or graveyards. Due to the rise of the Izzet Cauldron, it has gained more traction in the Standard metagame as a potential counter to the best deck in the format—although it still requires the necessary results to take that role.
The Decklist
This is the standard list based on what is commonluy found in Magic Online Challenges, with only a few sideboard changes based on the need to adapt to the current Metagame, especially the rise of the Izzet Cauldron as a deck to beat.
This list functions almost like a Tapout-Control. We try to play over traditional Midranges while providing cheap answers against Aggro and timely disruption against Control, complemented by various effects that exile cards from graveyards to enable Ketramose, the New Dawn, combined with Planeswalkers and Unholy Annex to close out the game.
Our biggest challenge is, essentially, playing around. We have a specific plan and sometimes need to consider suboptimal plays to make it work, but doing so on an inappropriate turn and/or with poor timing can cost the entire game against archetypes like Cauldron or Red Aggro. At the same time, taking too long to extract value from Ketramose can put us far behind in attrition matchups if our opponent gets ahead with cards like Enduring Curiosity or Kaito, Bane of Nightmares, allowing them to generate more value than us in the medium term.
On the other hand, this deck does seemslike a solid choice against Cauldron today. Besides Strategic Betrayal, we have natural maindeck hate like Ghost Vacuum or Deadly Cover-Up, while Duress deals with the artifact and The End can permanently deal with Vivi Ornitier. Considering the vulnerability of the other cards or their overall strategy without explosive combos to sweepers, we have the right tools to gain an advantage in both pre- and post-sideboard matches.
Maindeck
cardside(1 Ketramose, the New Dawn || 1 Beza, the Bounding Spring || 1 Unholy Annex)
Ketramose, the New Dawn benefits from most of our cards, which mostly interact with the Amonkhet god's exile ability. As a reward, we gain a steady source of card advantage and a 4/4 with Lifelink, Menace, and Indestructible for cheap.
Beza, the Bounding Spring works in almost every relevant matchup in the current metagame, whether drawing cards, fixing mana, or adding blockers, while also posing a threat on its own on empty boards.
Unholy Annex is our primary source of card advantage in attrition games and comes with a 6/6 flying demon that often becomes our win condition after controlling the game in the early turns.
Elspeth, Storm Slayer functions as removal, a complementary threat, or a win condition in the same slot. As we extend the game to similar levels as Mono White Tokens, her +1 ability tends to snowball if activated for more than one turn cycle, as we can then turn these tokens into an army of 2/2 tokens with Flying.
Ugin, Eye of the Storms is a removal when cast, and its main function is to generate card advantage while preventing the opponent's beatdown plan from winning the game. There are situations where generating mana with it allows for more explosive sequences, such as playing Deadly Cover-Up and Unholy Annex in the same turn.
Seam Rip works as a cheap interaction against cheap permanents and guarantees an extra trigger for Ketramose, the New Dawn for just one mana.
Strategic Betrayal is one of the best enablers for Ketramose, the New Dawn and one of the most efficient maindeck answers against graveyard-based archetypes today, since we exile everything in it along with an opponent's creature in play. Unfortunately, it's a sorcery so we can't count on it to work against Cauldron.
Shoot the Sheriff became the best black two-mana removal in Standard as it's the least restrictive card in the format for dealing with threats at any stage of the game.
Feed the Cycle deals with creatures and Planeswalkers while also feeding Ketramose for a low cost.
Archenemy’s Charm has several functions in a single slot. We have little use for the recursion mode due to the low number of creatures, but returning a Beza from the graveyard already generates enough value, while resolving creatures or Planeswalkers and delaying the opponent’s clock works wonders in specific moments. There are some (rare) occasions where we get stuck with it due to Soulstone Sanctuary, but it makes up for this risk.
The End also resolves creatures and Planeswalkers while being our best tool for permanently dealing with Vivi Ornitier or Kaito, Bane of Nightmares.
Split Up is a cheap sweeper against Red Aggro that also works against Prowess, Tokens, Dimir Midrange, and even the Izzet Cauldron. It can be conditional in some matchups, but it serves to delay a few turns.
Deadly Cover-Up clears the battlefield and also permanently resolves an opponent's troublesome card, in addition to feeding Ketramose, the New Dawn and being a great tool for turning it into a creature.
Ghost Vacuum benefits from the need for graveyard hate in the maindeck, but in this list, its role involves interacting with Ketramose to guarantee an extra draw every turn for just one mana.
Duress is our choice for hand interaction and seems favored compared to Intimidation Tactics in the current metagame, although a swap between the two in the maindeck and sideboard could work better on our overall game plan.
Soulstone Sanctuary guarantees an additional demon for Unholy Annex and serves as an extra win condition in longer games. Remember that it permanently transforms into a creature with Vigilance, and we can use this ability at any point in the game.
Since we want to have access to 
consistently, all of our lands generate black mana, so we maximize the number of duals with a split between Shadowy Backstreet and Restless Fortress, which also works as another late-game threat.
Sideboard
Clarion Conqueror permanently locks Planeswalkers, Artifacts, and Creatures, creating a lock against Agatha's Soul Cauldron and Vivi Ornitier while it's in play, in addition to also disrupting cards like Kaito, Bane of Nightmares or Repurposing Bay.
Intimidation Tactics exiles creatures or artifacts from the opponent's hand, providing both a way to permanently deal with Vivi Ornitier and Cauldron and another trigger for Ketramose, the New Dawn.
The extra copies of Ghost Vacuum are useful against any graveyard-based archetype, and we can also use it as a source of extra card advantage in some attrition matchups where the opponent might rely a bit on the graveyard for specific purposes.
Exorcise deals with Enduring Curiosity and is also a decent removal against Beza, the Bounding Spring or other high-power creatures in the current format.
Get Lost complements the interaction against Planeswalkers while dealing with creatures and enchantments at instant-speed.
Pest Control is our main answer against Esper Bounce and other archetypes who puts too many cheap tokens and permanents into play. There are some versions of Mono Red Aggro where it's a useful side-in, depending on the amount of one-drops the opponent runs.
Pinnacle Starcage serves much the same purpose as Pest Control, but with an amplified scope in exchange for a higher cost and an inherent vulnerability to Abrade, Suplex, or other artifact hate effects, which are currently on the rise.
The extra Split Up in the sideboard also primarily targets Aggro decks, but it also works against Dimir/Simic Midrange.
Sideboard Guide
Izzet Cauldron
IN
OUT
Mono Red Aggro
IN
OUT
Dimir Midrange
IN
OUT
Exper Bounce
IN
OUT
Azorius Control
IN
OUT
Izzet Prowess
IN
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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