Premodern: Healthy metagame sees participation plummet.

Premodern is facing a critical juncture this week. The Final Health Index sits at a moderate 54.6, but beneath this average score, the participation numbers are sounding the alarm. Despite a high-quality metagame, growth metrics are collapsing, with the Event Growth Score at 1.8 and Player Growth Score at 1.3. We are currently seeing paper participation declining at a harsh -29.4% per month, with event counts following closely behind at a -27.2% monthly decline. This trend culminated in December 2025 seeing only 13 recorded events, down severely from the 132 events recorded in October 2025. The format urgently needs an influx of players to reverse this negative growth trend.

Crucially, the quality of the gameplay remains superb. The Metagame Diversity Score is a very strong 80.1, and the Archetype Distribution Score hits a near-perfect 94.6. Looking at the super-archetype split confirms a vibrant meta: Aggro, Control, and Combo are all represented almost equally, sitting at 35%, 30%, and 35% respectively. This reflects a significant increase in Combo’s representation compared to the historical five-year average of 25.4%, suggesting a shift that has balanced the field. This balance suggests a truly open metagame, even if fewer people are showing up to play it.

If you are shuffling up this week, you need to be prepared for speed. The top of the metagame is dominated by aggressive strategies, though Aggro only makes up 35% of the total field. Goblins leads the pack at 8% of the meta, with Sligh (RDW) right behind at 7%. Mono Black Aggro follows at 4%, and RG Aggro and Madness both claim 3%. The sheer variety is evident lower down the Top 10, which includes Terrageddon (2%), White Weenie (1%), and Zombie Infestation Aggro (0.9%).

Despite the lack of recent B&R changes to analyze, the community is actively optimizing to solve the current environment. Reddit discussions reveal a move toward proactive decks designed to punish slower strategies like UW Control, leading to intense debate over whether current hate cards are sufficient to contain explosive Reanimator combo variants. The excitement around new tech centers on aggressive Naya and Domain Zoo utilizing Wild Mongrel, Kird Ape, and even Fires of Yavimaya for immediate haste. While players cite Brainstorm as the most powerful card advantage engine, the unsung sideboard hero is Cursed Totem, effective against Goblins, Elves, and key combo pieces. Overall sentiment remains positive, though the reliance on dual lands drives up the barrier to entry.