Archived Analysis

Pioneer's got a pulse, but it's not exactly sprinting. The Final Health Index is 62.2, signaling a format that's doing okay, but could be doing better. Let's break down what's going on.

Metagame Diversity is decent at 72.7, and Archetype Distribution looks solid at 89.1. However, the real story is the Growth scores. Event Growth is only 37.3, and Player Growth is even lower at 30.5. These numbers don't lie – Pioneer events and player participation are on a downward trend. Check the monthly counts; both paper and MTGO players are steadily declining since last fall. The B&R Health Score is sitting at a comfortable 75.0, so at least we know that ain't the problem.

If you're looking to win, Red Deck Wins is the deck to beat at 14%. Rakdos Aggro is close behind at 11%, and Arclight Phoenix is still putting up numbers at 8%. Then it's Boros Aggro at 5% and Selesnya Aggro at 4%. Looking at the super-archetypes, Aggro dominates at 57%, followed by Control at 27% and Combo trailing behind at 16%. Seems like Pioneer remains the domain of creature decks!

The talk of the town on Reddit is Rakdos. Players are grumbling about its dominance, and some are even calling for bans. The community is actively brainstorming sideboard strategies, with cards like Leyline of Sanctity being thrown around. Mono-Green Devotion is still kicking around, experimenting with Karn, the Great Creator targets. Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker are still generating buzz, especially in the context of Rakdos. Overall, community sentiment is mixed, with a desire for more metagame balance.