Archived Analysis

Pauper is looking pretty solid, even though aggro is still the king. The format feels active and growing, with plenty of players online and in paper. The buzz is about adapting to the current top dogs while trying to break the format with new tech.

The health metrics back this up. A final health index of 79.0 shows the format is doing well, and diversity is good at 77.0. We're seeing strong growth, with event growth at 86.3 and player growth at a whopping 95.9! The B&R health score is 70.0, suggesting the format is in a good spot according to WotC and doesn't require immediate intervention.

Right now, Mono Blue Aggro is the deck to beat at 13.5%, followed by Affinity at 10% and Burn at 8%. Red Deck Wins, Jund, and Elves are also putting up numbers. Aggro is still the dominant super-archetype at 69.2%, way more than control at 14.5% or combo at 16.3%. Compared to the 5-year average, Aggro is up, while Control is down.

Reddit is talking about Jeskai Ephemerate and how to beat the top aggro decks. People are also brewing with new downshifted cards, trying to find the next big thing. The discussion around Preordain and Brainstorm continues, with some players worrying about their long-term impact on the format. The recent "no changes" B&R announcement about High Tide might mean the community will have to deal with longer matches! Overall, players seem cautiously optimistic, always looking for the edge and ready to battle it out.