Archived Analysis

Legacy's doing alright, clocking in with a 72.0 Health Index. The format feels pretty stable, though the combo decks might be getting a little out of hand. Paper's still bleeding players, but MTGO's picking up some of the slack, so it balances out.

Looking at the numbers, the Metagame Diversity Score is 68.1, which is okay, but could be better. Archetype Distribution is solid at 89.1, meaning we're not seeing one thing completely dominate. The Event Growth Score is a healthy 85.7, but the Player Growth is lagging at 57.4, mostly from the paper side. Combo's eating up a huge slice of the pie at 55.4%, compared to its 5-year average of 40.1%. Aggro's down, Control's holding steady.

Right now, Dimir Tempo and UR Aggro are the decks to beat, sitting at 5% and 4% respectively. Eldrazi Aggro and Dragon Stompy also clock in at 4%. Death & Taxes and Maverick are hanging in there, but the format's definitely shifting towards these faster, more proactive game plans. Initiative Stompy at 1% remains a point of contention as well.

Reddit is buzzing about Initiative decks and how to beat them. Players are digging deep for sideboard tech and maindeck answers. White-based decks are also under scrutiny, with folks trying to make Stoneblade and similar strategies work. Orcish Bowmasters still generates plenty of talk, due to the card being a versatile card advantage engine that can slot into many decks. No changes to the B&R list this time around, which means we're stuck with what we've got for now, for better or worse.