Standard: Aggro decks dominate, participation declines

Standard is looking a bit shaky, folks. Our Final Health Index is only at 64.2, which isn't terrible, but definitely room for improvement. The data paints a picture of a format struggling for balance.

The Diversity Score is a low 50.1, telling us that the meta isn't as varied as we'd like. However, the Archetype Distribution Score is a solid 76.7, meaning the decks that *are* being played are relatively well-distributed amongst themselves. The worrying sign is the Growth Score, with Event Growth at 57.3 and Player Growth at a paltry 41.8, indicating that participation is on the decline. The B&R Health Score is a respectable 80.0, suggesting recent banlist changes are having a positive effect.

UR Aggro is the big dog with 35.8% of the meta, followed by Red Deck Wins (18%) and Dimir Aggro (17%). Simic, Temur, Orzhov, Mono Green, and Boros Aggro decks are all sitting around 2%, and Golgari and Mono Black Aggro at 1%. Clearly, aggro is king. Looking at the Super-Archetype Breakdown, Aggro represents a massive 88.6% of the meta, with Control at 10.1% and Combo barely registering at 1.3%. Compared to the 5-year historical average, Aggro is way up, and Control is way down.

According to Reddit chatter, even post-bans, there's ongoing debate about the format's health. The community seems split, with frustration over the perceived dominance of Rakdos Midrange, but also excitement about the emergence of Esper Legends.