MtG Health Index

Legacy maintains a solid overall footing with a Final Health Index of 72.5, demonstrating a generally functional environment. The format continues to display remarkable structural balance, reflected in the exceptional Archetype Distribution Score hitting 94.8. However, the data highlights a clear point of stress: participation. Paper play is rapidly declining at a significant -3.8% monthly rate, pulling the overall Player Growth Score down to 64.3. While online (MTGO) numbers are nearly stable, this trend indicates a significant challenge in sustaining local event support moving forward, despite event counts appearing steady over the last year.

Despite the participation slump, the metagame itself remains structurally sound. The Metagame Diversity Score is high at 76.5, indicating a broad array of competitive strategies. The current super-archetype distribution—43.1% Aggro, 38.4% Combo, and 18.5% Control—closely mirrors the historical 5-year average, suggesting internal stability is largely intact. The B&R Health Score sits at 65.0, suggesting some systemic pressure, although the latest announcement maintained the status quo, choosing caution over intervention even while noting concerns about decks like Oops! All Spells.

Looking at the Top 10 decks, the metagame currently orbits around UR Aggro, which holds a decisive lead at 10.8% of the field. The aggressive strategy is clearly viable, followed by Eldrazi Aggro at 7% and Dimir Tempo at 6%. The rest of the Top 10 is heavily populated by aggressive strategies—including Mardu Aggro, Grixis Aggro, Mono Black Aggro, and Boros Aggro—emphasizing that Aggro is indeed the overall dominant super-archetype.

The community is navigating intense flux driven by *Modern Horizons 3* integration. Discussion is dominated by "Nadu Legacy," built around *Nadu, the Wisp-Bred*, which is causing anxiety due to its perceived consistency and resilience. Traditional blue decks, including Izzet Delver and Control, continue to thrive, utilizing the powerful *Flare of Denial* to maintain parity. Non-blue hopefuls are turning to prison decks leveraging *Chalice of the Void* and *Magus of the Moon* to exploit blue mana requirements. *Orcish Bowmasters* remains the most complained-about non-blue card, serving as a ubiquitous check on card advantage. Consensus suggests the format is currently defined by proactive power, demanding immediate answers from all competitors.

Modern is running hot this week, posting a Final Health Index of 67.5, suggesting a successful environment even without recent intervention. The main story is the sheer speed of the format. Aggro strategies make up an astonishing 59.5% of the current metagame, significantly outpacing the historical 5-year average of 44.3%. The format’s recent ability to adapt without official changes is reflected in a high B&R Health Score of 80.0, aligning with the AI assessment that the format is self-correcting through player adaptation and new card innovations.

Looking closer at the raw metrics, Modern is showing polarization. While the Archetype Distribution Score is high at 87.8, the Metagame Diversity Score sits lower at 69.6, indicating that while many different types of decks exist, they often belong to the same few macro-archetypes. Crucially, participation is surging: Paper play is growing at 7.0% per month, driving the high Player Growth Score of 86.7. However, the scene is not universally healthy; Event Growth is struggling significantly, scoring only 36.0 and declining at a rate of -6.0% per month.

The data clearly establishes Boros Aggro (15.5%) and Death And Taxes (14%) as the two critical decks defining the current battleground. Affinity trails far behind at 8%. The format heavily rewards focused aggression and resilience, pushing Combo strategies to a solid 29.2% share, while traditional Control struggles mightily, holding only 11.3% of the overall metagame. The top slots are highly clustered, demanding serious sideboard preparation for these centralized, aggressive strategies.

Community discussion remains intense, focusing on the dominance of Rakdos Scam and Domain Zoo, alongside fatigue over early-turn disruptions. However, players are actively finding solutions, leading to specific rising archetypes. New tech includes optimized colorless strategies, with players experimenting with Eldrazi builds that leverage utility lands and powerful artifacts to go over the top. Furthermore, Temur Rhinos is evolving, adapting its counter suite and threat density to better handle disruptive elements. Financially, Tribal Flames and specific triomes are climbing due to Domain’s success, while players have successfully adapted their sideboards against The One Ring, leading to a slight dip in its perceived invincibility, though it remains a powerful format staple.

Vintage currently sits at a respectable 61.7 Final Health Index. The format isn't collapsing, but key metrics suggest significant compression is occurring at the top tables. While the Archetype Distribution is an excellent 93.8, showing good balance across major strategies (Control 37.3%, Aggro 35.8%), the Metagame Diversity Score is a low 41.3. This suggests that while the format is broadly balanced, the actual number of viable unique decks is minimal. This compression is reflected in the historical data, where the diversity score has tumbled from 68.0 in 2023 to 55.5 now. Participation trends are mixed: Paper play is growing robustly at 4.8% monthly, but MTGO play is declining at -3.8%, mirroring the overall Event Growth decline of -5.0%.

The metagame is heavily concentrated around three main strategies. MUD and Dimir Control are essentially neck-and-neck, dominating the field at 15.2% and 15% respectively. Hatebear is right behind them, claiming 14% of the meta share. Combined, these three decks represent over 44% of the reported metagame, reinforcing the low diversity score. Other successful lists like BUG Midrange (3%) and Bazaar Aggro (0.7%) are currently fighting hard for relevance outside the top tier.

The B&R Health Score (65.0) reflects the current "wait-and-see" approach, with no recent card changes implemented. Community discussion is focused on the high tension between fast blue strategies and oppressive artifact prison decks utilizing Mishra’s Workshop. The primary card generating debate is *Mental Misstep*; players are deeply divided on whether its ubiquity stifles diversity or serves as necessary format police.

Recent tech highlights include *Nulldrifter*, which is proving to be a highly flexible and powerful staple in blue control and tempo strategies. We are also seeing renewed interest in "Turbo-Xerox" strategies utilizing *Ponder* and *Preordain* to quickly assemble fast combo pieces, often featuring *Paradoxical Outcome* or *Doomsday* as the preferred payoff, confirming the perceived dominance of hyper-efficient turn-one blue strategies.

Pioneer is clocking in at a strong 72.2 Final Health Index this week, reflecting a format that is fundamentally stable but clearly accelerating. The main story this week is the continued shift toward pure speed. Aggro now makes up a massive 70% of the super-archetype breakdown, significantly higher than the format’s historical average of 63.7%. This rise in velocity has pushed Control down to just 13.5% of the overall meta share, proving that if you aren't fighting on the first few turns, you are likely behind.

Drilling down into the key health metrics, the Archetype Distribution Score is robust at 89.2, suggesting viable options across the field, even with Aggro dominating the volume. However, the Metagame Diversity Score is a bit lower at 68.8, indicating that while many strategies exist, the top performers are highly centralized. We also see an interesting split in participation: while the Player Growth Score sits at a solid 75.9 due to MTGO growing at 1.4% monthly, paper play is shrinking at an average of -2.0% per month, and overall events are declining at a -1.9% rate.

The top of the standings is a battle for efficiency. Gruul Aggro leads the charge, capturing 19% of the reported metagame. Rakdos Aggro follows close behind at 13%, with Arclight Phoenix still holding a significant chunk at 11%. If you are not prepared for turn-three assaults, you will lose, as shown by Boros Aggro (5%) and Devotion to Green (4%) filling out the next tier. The variety in the remaining Top 10 decks confirms the depth of aggressive options available to players seeking to exploit the format's speed.

The community consensus aligns with the data: the format is stable, demonstrated by the strong 75.0 B&R Health Score and the decision to implement no card changes. This stability, however, fuels ongoing debate centered on the persistent dominance of Rakdos Midrange. Players are constantly optimizing against the ubiquitous presence of Thoughtseize and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse. The data confirms this competitive tension, showing aggressive decks like Boros Convoke and Gruul Vehicles gaining traction, specifically designed to go *under* the established midrange threat. While older strategies like Lotus Field Combo are discussed, current focus is intensely on the explosive speed of Amalia Combo. Furthermore, Leyline Binding, utilized in the refinement of Domain Aggro, is becoming a key answer against the format's defining staples.

Standard currently sits at a Final Health Index of 60.4, placing it firmly in the middle of the pack. The main story this week is a contrast between strong metagame variety and collapsing player engagement. While the Archetype Distribution Score is high at 83.9 and Metagame Diversity holds at 73.3, the format is struggling severely to retain its community, demonstrated by extremely low Growth scores. The format might be healthy in principle, but the data suggests players are exiting quickly.

Digging into the metrics reveals who is running the show: Aggro. Aggro decks now consume a massive 69% of the super-archetype share, a sharp jump from the historical 63.3% average, while Control has been severely suppressed, sitting at only 18% compared to its historical average of 34.2%. However, the real warning signs are in participation. Event Growth Score is a meager 22.8 and Player Growth is 14.6, with Paper participation declining 23.3% per month and MTGO dropping 8.3%.

This aggression is led by Dimir Aggro, which takes the top spot at 15.2% of the meta, followed closely by UR Aggro (13%) and Simic Aggro (11%). Looking at the Top 10 list, the word "Aggro" appears almost everywhere across eight different color combinations, confirming that speed is the single defining factor of Standard right now. The format is wide, but it is uniformly fast.

Community discussion confirms this tension, centering on whether hyper-aggressive strategies like Boros Convoke—leveraging cards like Gleeful Demolition and Knight-Errant of Eos—can consistently beat the format’s premier ramp strategy, Domain. Domain leverages the power of five-color mana bases and high-end threats like Atraxa, Grand Unifier, which remains the most complained-about card due to its sheer resilience. On the flip side, the community universally praises the versatility of Get Lost as an essential stabilizing removal piece. Regarding the recent shake-up, the B&R Health Score sits high at 80.0, suggesting the extensive bans achieved their immediate goal of attempting to increase diversity and reduce early pressure, even as the metagame remains fiercely fast.

Pauper remains highly competitive this week, landing a strong Final Health Index of 78.4. While the format’s foundational metrics show excellent health, the overall narrative remains fixed: Aggro is king, driving the format clock and sparking vigorous community debate about the competitive landscape.

The core metrics are overwhelmingly positive. Metagame Diversity scores a healthy 79.5, complemented by an Archetype Distribution of 91.2. The current metagame is comprised of 65.6% Aggro strategies, which aligns almost perfectly with the format’s 5-year historical average of 66.5%. Interestingly, while overall Event Growth is steady (1.1% increase monthly), player participation trends are bifurcated: Paper attendance is dropping by -4.4% monthly, but MTGO is thriving, growing at a robust 5.2% rate.

Looking at the Top 10, Burn is leading the charge, capturing 9.6% of the meta share, followed closely by Mono Blue Aggro at 8%. Affinity and Red Deck Wins are tied for the next spot at 7% each. This list clearly establishes the dominance of fast strategies, with Aggro and similar variants comprising the bulk of the field and pushing strategies like Jund (6%) and Elves (4%) into the secondary tiers.

The community pulse is mixed: highly engaged, but fatigued by the repetitive results from the established Tier 1 decks in online Challenges. Discussions are dominated by the sheer speed of Red decks, focusing heavily on the efficiency of *Monastery Swiftspear* and its impact on the format clock. This has driven defensive tech, with cards like *Standard Bearer* and *Moment's Peace* seeing increased sideboard inclusion. However, innovation persists; we are seeing Dimir Terror decks splashing White for powerful tools like *Dust to Dust*, and Flicker Tron is making a noticeable resurgence, leveraging *Stonehorn Dignitary* to neutralize aggressive strategies. While the B&R announcement provided no specific card changes, the decision to postpone any action suggests confidence in the format’s current 70.0 B&R Health Score, even as players anxiously await a change to revitalize the competitive space.

Premodern is currently operating at peak performance, demonstrated by an exceptional Final Health Index of 86.5. The overall picture is one of expansion and health, driven almost entirely by the enthusiasm of paper players. The data reflects a vibrant, expanding player base, showing no signs of slowing down its current momentum, a fantastic sign for long-term health.

The growth trends are exceptional, validating the positive sentiment. Events are increasing at an average rate of 3.8% monthly, and the player base is growing at 2.3% per month, attested to by a 91.2 Event Growth Score. While our Metagame Diversity Score is a solid 83.7, the current meta leans heavily Control at 42.4%, a noticeable historical shift considering Aggro traditionally held a much tighter share of the overall field. However, the near-perfect Archetype Distribution Score of 95.3 suggests that even within those major categories, the competition is varied.

Despite the super-archetype skew toward Control, aggressive strategies still dominate the individual Top 10 lists. Goblins is the undisputed frontrunner this week, clocking in at 7.6%, followed by the consistency of Sligh (RDW) at 6%. Elves holds the third spot at 4%. This aggressive core is rounded out by specialized strategies like Mono Black Aggro, Madness, and RG Aggro, confirming that speed is still a necessary factor when navigating this format.

Community chatter confirms the meta’s defining characteristic: the perennial tension between hyper-efficient combo strategies and interactive fair decks. Strategies like Trix and various flavors of Reanimator continue to post dominant results, driving fierce discussion about the format’s top end. Players acknowledge the format’s defining 'Blue Problem,' noting that staples like *Force of Will* and *Brainstorm* are central to maintaining the status quo, even while they create a high barrier for non-blue innovation. We are seeing specific tech emerge to fight back; U/G Madness is gaining traction, leveraging *Circular Logic* and *Wild Mongrel* for disruption. Additionally, Mono-Black Control is utilizing tools like *Corrupt* and *Hymn to Tourach* to grind down slower blue decks, positioning itself as a strong choice for players looking to dodge the combo mirrors. The format's financial buzz is currently focused on staples like *Gaea's Cradle* and *Mishra's Factory*, driven entirely by Premodern’s undeniable growth.