Legacy - Ketramose Death and Taxes: Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Greetings, Legacy community! Aetherdrift is finally out, so we can finally start our engines and play with these new toys! Out of all the new cards, however, I'd reckon the most talked about has been Ketramose, the New Dawn.

This Orzhov God has been popping up in other formats, and, coincidently, there is a place for him in Legacy as well: Orzhov Death and Taxes, with Overlord of the Balemurk and Flicker effects like Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd and Flickerwisp, has been the best-performing version of this traditional archetype since the last banlist update.

And do you know who enjoys Flicker effects, as well as other ways to exile cards both from the battlefield and the graveyard? Yeah, our new best friend:

The list we'll use as a base today was played by IsolatedSystem to Top 8'd a Magic Online Challenge 32 - he also won one trophy in one league with it. On one side, we have the Death and Taxes base: Aether Vial, Swords to Plowshares, Stoneforge Mystic (with its equipment pieces), and Recruiter of the Guard (with its toolbox).

On the other side, we have black cards like Thoughtseize, Overlord of the Balemurk and Orcish Bowmasters, which give this deck a new angle to attack: if you summon an Overlord on turn 2 with Impending, it will be a terrifying presence that gets closer turn after turn and can become a real threat if you exile it and return it to the game.

In the middle of all of this, Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, Yorion, Sky Nomad, and Flickerwisp give you value with their triggered abilities, and Solitude and Skyclave Apparition control the board.

If you take a look at our original list, you'll notice it includes many ways to draw cards with Ketramose: Flicker effects, removals that exile other cards, and cards that exile cards from the graveyard. The last two types of cards will enable Ketramose for combat: Lion Sash, in particular, can draw a truckload of cards, and put seven cards in the exile very quickly.

Speaking of this restriction, please note that it takes into consideration cards that both players exiled. So if your opponent is paying for Force of Will's alternative cost, Imprinting cards with Chrome Mox, or paying for Delve's costs, they will enable Ketramose for combat. And an Indestructible 4/4 with Menace and Lifelink is nothing to scoff at.

Considering this deck plays Stoneforge Mystic, The Aetherspark is an interesting tool for wars of attrition.

One card that was already quite popular in this archetype even before Aetherdrift came along and that is even better with Ketramose is Emperor of Bones. Speaking of this Skeleton, The Aetherspark can activate its ability, which brings back creatures, extra times!

Finally, one interesting detail is Boggart Trawler and Witch Enchanter: you can tutor both with Recruiter of the Guard, but they also have interesting effects, and can act as tutorable lands. You never know when you'll need mana!

Because of Yorion, this deck's opening hands are more inconsistent than the opening hands of a regular 60-card deck, so you have to be a bit more careful about what you keep.

Hands with Aether Vial are keepable unless they don't have any other action. Hands that have a good curve, or can play Overlord of the Balemurk/Stoneforge Mystic in turn 2 are also interesting.

This deck also plays a lot of lands, so stay away from hands with too many of them - there is a high possibility you'll just flood. As this isn't a combo deck, there is no specific combination of cards you should look for. Just look for hands with viable game plans.

Hand Examples:

This hand is weird. Despite having Aether Vial, it doesn't play well on curve because of the Surveil Land. In any case, it can play Vial on turn 1 and get value from it. My recommendation would be to open with Wasteland + Aether Vial so you can put Shadowy Backstreet in play on turn 2, and destroy a land with Wasteland. This will open the way for you to play Thoughtseize on turn 3.

It is not the most fluid of hands, but it has action with Vial from turn 3 onwards and delays the opponent's game plan with Wasteland. Against a combo deck, however, you can't keep it. Verdict: Slow, yet playable keep against everything except fast combo decks.

This would be the perfect hand… If it had one extra land. Even though it has 2 actions with Swords to Plowshares and Solitude, placing all your bets on drawing a land is too risky. Verdict: Mulligan.

Mana, Vial, action, answers. This hand has everything you need except ways to deal with fast combos. Verdict: Easy keep against everything except the most broken lists, like Oops.

Even though you can pop Marsh Flats into Shadowy Backstreet with Solitude as backup, this hand is too slow. In practice, it is also a mulligan to 6, considering you don't want to see Kaldra Compleat in your opening hand. Verdict: Mulligan.

Naturally, the sideboard of a deck with Yorion, Sky Nomad is always a bit weaker. First, because it must use one slot with its Companion and second because you'll play with 80 cards instead of 60, which makes it a bit less consistent. That being said, as this list was built on Magic Online to beat a list that doesn't play many answers against combo lists in its main deck (basically Thoughtseize and some graveyard answers, besides creature removals that are useful against combos, like Cephalid Illusionist), this sideboard will focus on answering these decks.

It includes Mindbreak Trap and Deafening Silence to beat Storm and other decks that play several spells at once, like Forge Combo. Faerie Macabre and Grafdigger's Cage deal with all the well-known graveyard decks. Cursed Totem will deal with Nomads en-Kor in decks with Nadu, Winged Wisdom, and eventually Goblins in decks with Painter's Servant. Containment Priest is a tutorable answer both for Reanimator and Sneak & Show. It is also useful against Green Sun's Zenith. Disruptor Flute is simply a generic answer that hits from The One Ring to Shuko. Finally, Wrath of the Skies is great against the other "fair" decks in the format.

Other cards that often show up in this sideboard are Cabal Therapy, Cataclysm, Damping Sphere, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, Leyline of the Void, Path to Exile, Plague Engineer, Sanctifier en-Vec, Sanctum Prelate, and The Battle of Bywater.

Dimir Reanimator

You already have enough answers for graveyards in the main deck, though they might not be fast enough to stop Entomb + Reanimate. Fortunately, Thoughtseize can stop it, and your removals can deal with reanimated creatures - but not before they deal damage.

If you manage to deal with their initial developments, they'll usually run out of targets to reanimate, considering your answers will exile their cards. Post-side, you'll add even more answers for their fast hands. On the other side, your deck is already well-prepared to play longer matches.

In:

Out:

Blue Aggro (Temur, Grixis, Izzet e Dimir)

Aether Vial is critical in this matchup. If you can protect it with Thoughtseize, please invest a turn doing that, as, with it in play, you'll be able to develop your board and deal with any threats your opponent plays. You can answer all their biggest threats with your removals, and your deck has tools to recover the cards you play or lose - Ketramose and Overlord, in particular.

In:

Out:

Eldrazi Aggro

Usually, you won't struggle too much against Chalice of the Void, as you can always use a Flicker effect to reset its counters. If possible, target Eye of Ugin with your Wastelands. In general, I consider Death and Taxes favored in this matchup, but a fast Sowing Mycospawn can be annoying.

In:

Out:

Red Stompy

Death and Taxes has always been a thorn in Red Stompy's side, even after Fury came along. As such, Orcish Bowmasters often punish The One Ring activations, and you can play around their lock pieces really well, namely Chalice of the Void, Blood Moon, and Magus of the Moon. This is another enemy you're favored against.

In:

Out:

Nadu Breakfast

You might have many answers to stop Cephalid Illusionist's combo, but stopping Nadu, Winged Wisdom from drawing cards with its plan B will be a lot harder. If possible, target Urza's Saga with your Wastelands and save your removals for Nomads en-Kor. Post-side, you'll remove any creatures that force you to spend mana on your turn but don't affect the enemy board.

In:

Out:

I usually say that Death and Taxes has a permanent home in Legacy, as it pops up every year and does its best to represent white creatures. It has been a thing in MTG ever since White Weenie came along, in 1995. This new version with black left behind one of the most prominent cards in this archetype, Mother of Runes, to play Overlord of the Balemurk with Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd, which is definitely worth it. All that's left for us to do is see if Ketramose, the New Dawn can settle in this archetype too.

What did you think of this list? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!