Archived Analysis

Pioneer's got some issues brewing, with Aggro's stranglehold tightening. While the format dodged a B&R shakeup, the community's restless, and the numbers tell a worrying story.

The format's overall health is middling at 61.0. Metagame Diversity sits at 64.2, which isn't terrible, but the Archetype Distribution is way out of whack at 87.3 – meaning the distribution of decks is far from even. The real kicker is the tanking Growth Score (36.0) and Player Growth Score (28.5). Both paper and MTGO numbers are steadily declining.

Red Deck Wins is the undisputed king at almost 29%, a massive slice of the pie. Rakdos Aggro follows at 11%, with Arclight Phoenix hanging in there at 10%. Selesnya and Boros Aggro make a showing, but the format is overwhelmingly aggro-dominated. Control barely registers at 10.5% while combo is at 17.2%. The historical data paints a clear picture: Aggro's presence is way up (72.3% vs 64.3% historically), while Control is way down (10.5% vs 20.6%).

Reddit's buzzing about Rakdos' continued dominance, and some are whispering about potential adjustments. Azorius Creativity decks are generating hype as a possible disruptor, and folks are looking at refining aggro strategies like Boros Heroic. Sheoldred, the Apocalypse is *still* a major topic, both for its power and price tag. Pioneer players are not happy. The lack of recent B&R changes is not helping either, and some are calling for some soon!