Pauper: Aggro strategies heavily dominate the meta.

The Pauper format is showing strong vital signs this week, highlighted by an impressive Final Health Index of 84.9. Participation and growth metrics are booming, but don’t let that high score fool you entirely. The data clearly shows a format fighting internal battles, particularly when looking at the low B&R Health Score of 70.0 and the increasing dominance of aggressive strategies.

Looking deeper into the metrics, the Metagame Diversity Score sits at a solid 77.3, but the actual distribution leans heavily toward speed. Aggro decks now represent a commanding 70.3% of the super-archetype breakdown, significantly eclipsing the historical 66.6% average. Control has shrunk dramatically to only 16.6%, a steep decline from its historical 25% share. Participation, however, is excellent: Event Growth is massive at an average of 5.1% monthly, and Paper participation continues to lead the way, up 4.0% per month, confirming that players are showing up in force.

The top of the standings is tightly contested by fast strategies. Mono Blue Aggro edges out the field at 11.1%, closely followed by Affinity at 10%. Red Deck Wins, Burn, and Jund are all clustered right behind them, each taking 7% of the metagame share. If you aren't prepared to handle efficient threats and high aggression, you will struggle against this dense top-tier.

The B&R update was cautious, postponing any decision on High Tide while signaling overall confidence. However, community discussions tell a different story. Reddit is dominated by fatigue over the artifact meta, with players calling out both Experimental Synthesizer and the artifact lands (like Ancient Den) for homogenizing play. Innovation is focusing on beating these decks, with Dimir Terror builds adapting by adding more targeted artifact removal to leverage resilient threats like Tolarian Terror. Staples like Snuff Out and the Monarch mechanic (via Palace Sentinels) are also subjects of persistent debate, reflecting a player base that is passionate but increasingly tired of the current top-tier grinding engines that utilize cards like Glint Hawk and Ichor Wellspring.