Archived Analysis

Premodern's in good shape! We're seeing strong player and event growth, indicating healthy interest. The big question is whether the format can maintain its diversity as certain strategies solidify.

The headline here is growth: the Event Growth Score is a solid 88.7, and Player Growth hits 88.9. That translates to consistently increasing attendance at paper events, which is excellent. The Metagame Diversity score sits at a respectable 80.5, but it's trending downward over the last few years, so we need to keep an eye on it. The Archetype Distribution Score is very high, at 94.6. This means we see a healthy distribution of Aggro, Control and Combo.

Sligh (RDW) is king of the hill at 8%, followed by Goblins at 6% and Elves at 5%. Terrageddon and Madness are also showing up. The super-archetype breakdown shows Aggro at 30.9%, Control at 38.5%, and Combo at 30.6%. Compare that to the 5-year historical averages: Aggro is down, Combo is up. This points to a potentially shifting landscape where you need to be prepared for combo strategies.

The Reddit crowd is buzzing about the power of control decks, especially those running Standstill. Some players are concerned they're becoming too dominant. Counterarguments emphasize control's role in checkmating aggressive decks. There is some chatter around Ancient Tomb and fast mana, but nothing extreme. Overall, community sentiment is positive, valuing the format’s blend of nostalgia and strategic depth. Players are actively experimenting with new sideboard strategies and brewing innovative takes on established archetypes, looking for that edge. No B&R changes to report, so the format’s health is all on us.