Orzhov Control is a popular and commonly accessible strategy at in-person Premodern tournaments. The deck is an amalgamation of the best cards with individual qualities in this color combination, bringing together pieces like Duress and Swords to Plowshares in the same list for interaction while being able to carry the game with Exalted Angel and Eternal Dragon.
Its goal is to neutralize practically any game plan, pushing the match into the late-game, where the opponent — with fewer resources — will be buried by our ability to keep answering everything they present as a threat, or by establishing even bigger and harder-to-deal-with threats.
The Decklist
Orzhov Control is a very solid deck, relatively easy to pilot if you know the format. This list is very oriented toward "old-school control": few threats, many cheap removals, and a diversity of answers and sources of card advantage.
One of the biggest draws to this color combination is access to the staples Vindicate and Gerrard's Verdict, which guarantee more ease in disrupting the opponent's game plan, or flexibility in responding to whatever the threat may be unconditionally, without needing to make further deckbuilding concessions for specific matchups.
Maindeck
Exalted Angel is our primary finisher against Aggro. It can enter two turns earlier than expected via its Morph cost, has a very effective body for its cost, and the "Lifelink" prevents the opponent from being able to race you.
Eternal Dragon handles the other end of the spectrum and is our best threat in Control and Midrange games. It guarantees our land drops early in the game and can later be returned from the graveyard to hand, where it transforms into a finisher that offers inevitability against any deck that doesn't run Swords to Plowshares.
Decree of Justice offers versatility at any stage of the game, being perhaps one of the most complex cards to use appropriately: there are times when an army of 1/1s that gets around Counterspell is more effective than creating one or two 4/4 Angel tokens, while in other situations, opting for Cycling instead of the original cost for fear of what the opponent might have in hand can cost you the game.
The hand disruption.
Duress precisely removes problematic answers to protect our win conditions, combo pieces, and essential value engines for the opponent's game plan — all in the same slot and for the lowest possible cost.
Gerrard's Verdict is one of the most effective discard effects in the format. Besides removing two cards for two mana, it also punishes Aggro opponents for discarding lands, while significantly hindering the execution of some combos or the ability of Midrange decks to make favorable trades.
Swords to Plowshares is the most efficient removal in the format and handles any creature. Since we have big threats and want to propose a long game, the opponent's life gain is negligible.
Vindicate, on the other hand, is the best removal in the deck. It handles any type of permanent and has a relatively low mana cost for its effectiveness, making it useful in practically every match.
Wrath of God is the original sweeper and handles all creatures for four mana. While it can be slow in some cases, its versatility as a tool to hold off Aggro decks while also offering two-for-one trades against Midrange decks secures its slots.
Bane of the Living functions more as a sweeper than as a threat, being ideal in games against Aggro, especially go wide decks, while not being a completely useless card in other matchups.
Skeletal Scrying is our source of card advantage. We use many cheap cards as interaction and some proactive pieces that guarantee a constant feed for the graveyard, and having an option at instant speed that guarantees multiple draws in a single turn offers some relevant advantages compared to decks that use Phyrexian Arena, especially because we don't have Dark Ritual.
Phyrexian Furnace acts as targeted graveyard control while also recycling itself when it loses relevance or when this type of interaction isn't necessary in the matchup.
Sideboard
The anti-red package.
Circle of Protection Red prevents any damage from a red source at a low cost, and since we can easily guarantee our land drops, we can "nullify" the opponent's Lightning Bolts and other cards with ease, extending the game to the point where Exalted Angel takes ovber.
Warmth provides extra breathing room against Burn and Sligh but is a more vulnerable card against Sulfuric Vortex. It's an option that doesn't "lock up" our mana and allows us to be more proactive while holding off the opponent's clock.
Seal of Cleansing functions as a Disenchant that we can leave on the battlefield for when it's useful, which is a relevant advantage against The Rock and other black Midrange decks that use Duress and Cabal Therapy.
Aura of Silence is another effective hate card against artifacts and enchantments and severely punishes archetypes heavily focused on them, like Replenish or Enchantress.
Infest provides a cheap sweeper against go wide decks and another way to not rely solely on Wrath of God to clear the opponent's board.
Phyrexian Arena acts on the other end of the spectrum and comes in for Midrange and Control games, where we need more effective sources of card advantage.
Haunting Echoes can win games if we use our discards and removals effectively, being a key piece against some combos and also in attrition games.
Tormod's Crypt complements the graveyard hate with a one-shot effect that exiles all the opponent's cards. Essential against Reanimator, Replenish, Goblin Welder, Psychatog, Hermit Druid archetypes and also works as removal against Terravore.
Sideboard Guide
Mono Blue Stiflenought
IN
OUT
Goblins
IN
OUT
Sligh
IN
OUT
Orzhov Control / The Rock
IN
OUT
Standstill
IN
OUT
Replenish
IN
OUT
Psychatog
IN
OUT
Enchantress
IN
OUT
Mono Black Midrange
IN
OUT
Elves
IN
OUT
Wrapping Up
That's all for today!
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
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