Archived Analysis

Pioneer remains in an enviable position this week, posting a stellar Final Health Index of 80.9. The format is showing incredible stability, especially considering the high volume of play, with Paper participation growing robustly at an average of 14.4% monthly. While some of the historical diversity scores have dipped slightly over the last few years, the current Metagame Diversity Score of 73.7 and an excellent Archetype Distribution Score of 89.6 confirm that players have plenty of viable ways to attack the meta.

If you’re looking to compete, you need to bring speed. The current meta is overwhelmingly defined by aggressive strategies, which make up 67.8% of the field—a significant jump over the historical average of 63.7%. This aggressive push has clearly squeezed out Control, which now accounts for only 14.2% of the meta compared to its historical 20.9% share. This is a format where proactive decks get rewarded.

The clear leaders of the pack are Rakdos Aggro and Arclight Phoenix, both tied for the highest representation at 11%. However, the sheer breadth of aggression is notable: Gruul Aggro (8.2%), Boros Aggro (8%), and Dimir Aggro (8%) are all major players right now, suggesting that simply running enough high-speed threats is the most reliable path to victory. Even fringe archetypes like Devotion to Green and Red Deck Wins are carving out slices of the pie, indicating strong internal checks and balances.

Despite the data showing aggression is king, community discussion is heavily focused on the speed of Combo. Players are specifically wrestling with the prevalence and consistency of decks built around Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Quintorius Kand, which are cited as the most frequently discussed cards. Yet, aggressive builds like Boros Convoke and various Mono-Red decks are noted as natural checks against these faster combo strategies. Interaction like Thoughtseize is praised as the “necessary glue” that keeps the format honest against these threats. Furthermore, new aggressive builds featuring Domain strategies, leveraging Leyline of the Guildpact to enable Scion of Draco and Nishoba Brawler, are gaining traction. Given the B&R Health Score of 75.0 and the decision by the developers to implement no changes, the format is expected to remain stable, meaning the burden is on players to tune their sideboards against a diverse and speedy field.