Standard: Aggro decks still dominate format

Standard's in a weird spot. Despite some heavy-handed bannings, aggro still reigns supreme. The overall health index is just 61.5, signaling that while the format isn't collapsing, it definitely needs some retooling. The metagame feels stale.

The key health metrics tell a story. Diversity is low at 57.2. Archetype distribution, surprisingly, is decent at 77.0, but that's just because there are slight variations in aggro. Event growth and player growth scores are concerning, both below 50 (40.7 and 45.6 respectively). Paper participation is in a freefall (-21.1% per month), though MTGO is holding steady (+1.0%). The B&R health score is a respectable 80.0, suggesting the bans were well-intentioned, but the format hasn't caught up yet.

Right now, it's an aggro fest. UR Aggro is a monstrous 33.4% of the meta. Dimir Aggro is a distant second at 17%, followed by Esper Aggro at 11%. After that, everything else is a rounding error. Red Deck Wins sits at 5%, and Mono Green Aggro at 4%. The super-archetype breakdown is brutal: 87.7% aggro, 11.1% control, and a laughable 1.2% combo. Compared to the historical 5-year average, control is almost non-existent.

Community chatter revolves around the dominance of these aggro decks, especially UR Aggro, and how to beat them. Players are scrambling for tech to survive the early onslaught, with some experimenting with graveyard strategies. Cards like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, remain format staples and removal magnets. The bans of Cori-Steel Cutter, Abuelo's Awakening, Monstrous Rage, Heartfire Hero, Up the Beanstalk, Hopeless Nightmare, and This Town Ain't Big Enough were supposed to shake things up, but it looks like we just have a slightly different flavor of aggro dominating now.