Overview:

This Orzhov deck helmed by Ketramose, the New Dawn focuses on exiling permanents and leveraging graveyard manipulation to fuel card advantage through its commander. The strategy combines flicker/blink synergies, reanimation, and incremental life drain with key combo lines. Ketramose serves as both a card draw engine and resilient threat once seven+ cards are exiled, while "hidden commanders" like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim amplify the life swing strategy. The deck can win through infinite flicker combos, massive Gray Merchant triggers, or overwhelming value from exile-fueled card advantage.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-3): Deploy mana rocks (Sol Ring, Chrome Mox), stax pieces (Drannith Magistrate, Opposition Agent), and value creatures (Esper Sentinel, Soul Warden). Use Entomb/Vampiric Tutor to set up key pieces.
2. Exile Engine Activation (T3-5): Cast Ketramose once sufficient exile enablers are online. Use targeted exile removal (Skyclave Apparition, Solitude) and graveyard exilers (Relic of Progenitus, Dauthi Voidwalker) to trigger commander draws.
3. Combo Assembly (T4-7):
   • Infinite Flicker: Felidar Guardian + Restoration Angel + Altar of the Brood for infinite mill
   • Gray Merchant Loops: Reanimate with Animate Dead/Dance of the Dead and flicker with Teleportation Circle
   • Ad Nauseam/Bolas's Citadel: Chain spells using life gain from Soul Sisters and Children of Korlis
4. Closing: Overwhelm with Sheoldred/Ketramose life drain, swing with evasive threats, or deploy Farewell to reset opponents.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands and at least one exile enabler (Scrabbling Claws, Skyclave Apparition) or combo piece
• Prioritize early stax (Drannith Magistrate) in unknown metas
• Avoid hands relying solely on 4+ CMC spells without ramp

Key Tips:

• Use Ephemerate on Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Solitude for triple triggers
• Agatha's Soul Cauldron can give creatures key abilities from exiled Dauthi Voidwalker or Orcish Bowmasters
• The One Ring pairs with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse for massive life swings
• Eerie Interlude dodges wraths while retriggering ETB effects

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Heavy reliance on commander for card advantage makes it vulnerable to Darksteel Mutation/Imprisoned in the Moon
• Lacks countermagic to protect combos beyond Silence/Angel's Grace

Moderate

• Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace) disrupts reanimation and Dauthi Voidwalker plans
• Struggles against decks with faster combo clocks (T4-5)

Minor

• Limited board wipes beyond Farewell and Damn
• Some mana inefficiency from conditional lands (Bleachbone Verge, Isolated Chapel)

Most Important Cards:

• Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (Life swing engine & win condition)
• Ad Nauseam (Combo enabler & deck turbocharge)
• Felidar Guardian (Infinite flicker combo piece)
• Gray Merchant of Asphodel (Life drain bomb)
• The One Ring (Card advantage & protection)
• Dauthi Voidwalker (Graveyard hate & threat recursion)
• Imperial Seal (Premium tutor for combos)
• Altar of the Brood (Mill wincon with infinite flicker)
• Solitude (Free removal & exile trigger)
• Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (Incremental life drain)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Capable of T5-7 wins with ideal combo draws but typically operates on a midrange timetable.

Resilience: 7/10

• Multiple recursion engines (reanimation, flicker) and protection (The One Ring, indestructible commander) mitigate disruption.

Consistency: 8/10

• 7 tutors + extensive card draw (Ketramose, Sheoldred, Ring) ensure reliable access to key pieces.

Interaction: 7/10

• High-quality targeted removal (Anguished Unmaking, Winds of Abandon) and stax elements, but limited stack interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck demonstrates focused combo potential with T6-7 win capability through robust tutoring and card advantage, but lacks the speed and protection to consistently compete at high-power tables. Its balance of synergy and interaction aligns with optimized casual play.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0