Archived Analysis

Pauper's in a good spot right now, though Aggro still reigns supreme. The format feels active and engaged, with plenty of discussion brewing within the community.

Overall health is solid, with a Final Health Index of 79. Diversity is a respectable 77, and the Archetype Distribution Score is high at 87.1. The real story is player growth – a massive 95.9! Paper play is up almost 6% monthly, and MTGO a whopping 15.7%. The B&R Health Score is a decent 70. This shows Pauper is clearly popular and growing.

Mono Blue Aggro's still the king at 13.5%, followed by Affinity at 10%. Burn and Red Deck Wins are right behind, clocking in at 8% and 7% respectively. It's an aggro-heavy meta for sure – Jund, Elves, Rakdos Aggro, Mono Black Aggro, Gruul Aggro and Mono Green Aggro rounds out the top 10. Aggro accounts for nearly 70% of the meta, dwarfing Control and Combo. This is up slightly from the historical average, where Aggro was around 66%.

The big community talking point is the rise of Jeskai Ephemerate variants. Players are diving deep into mana bases, sideboarding, and positioning this deck in the current meta. There's also chatter about Preordain and Brainstorm, with players always keeping an eye on potential bans. The community is also keeping close watch over newer downshifted cards that may carve out a spot in the competitive landscape. The decision to hold off on banning anything related to High Tide signals confidence, despite some possible negative impacts from the archetype.