Standard: Aggressive decks severely reduce diversity.

Standard is running an acceptable 61.8 Final Health Index, but don't let that moderate score fool you: the format is currently defined by speed. Aggro has absolutely warped the metagame, claiming a massive 84.2% share of the current super-archetype breakdown. This is a radical departure from the historical 5-year average, which showed Aggro sitting at a much more modest 62.9%. The format is fast, brutal, and currently punishing anything trying to play slowly.

The underlying metrics confirm our speed problem. Our Metagame Diversity Score sits low at 57.3, and while the Archetype Distribution score is a healthy 80.2, the dominance of a single super-archetype explains why diversity is suffering, dropping to 55.5 in 2025 from 62.5 in 2024. Worse, player engagement is dipping, reflected by a low Player Growth Score of 41.8. We see consistent monthly declines in both Paper participation (-6.7%) and MTGO participation (-3.6%). The Event Growth Trend is also declining at an average rate of -2.8% per month.

If you aren't packing early interaction, prepare to get run over. The Top 10 Decks list is a sea of aggression, led decisively by UR Aggro at 26.8%. Red Deck Wins follows close behind at 21%, with Dimir Aggro rounding out the top three at 15%. Crucially, those three decks alone account for nearly two-thirds of the reported metagame presence. Below them, you see a flurry of lower-tier Aggro variants like Orzhov and Boros Aggro, both registering 4%.

The extensive recent B&R update hit hard, banning seven cards including Cori-Steel Cutter, Monstrous Rage, and Hopeless Nightmare, earning the B&R Health Score an encouraging 80.0. The community analysis suggests this was necessary, noting severe frustration around aggressive power levels. Boros Aggro, and specifically the card *Slickshot Show-Off*, is the primary target of community ire, presenting lethal damage before slower strategies can stabilize. However, the community pulse isn't entirely grim; the emergence of Jund Midrange, utilizing *Tinybones Joins Up* for card advantage, indicates that innovation is beginning to reward players looking for viable Tier 2 strategies outside the established Aggro shells.