Standard: Aggro dominates, diversity suffers badly

Standard is in rough shape, dominated by aggro decks after recent bans aimed at slowing things down. It's a format where speed kills, and control and combo are struggling to keep up.

The key health metrics paint a grim picture. The final health index is only 62.4, dragged down by a dreadful event growth score of 22.5. While player growth is strong at 69.4, the metagame diversity is concerning at 62.0. This suggests that while people are playing, they're mostly playing the same few decks. The B&R Health Score is high at 80, but the real test is if the bans actually diversify the format, or just shift which aggro decks are on top.

Right now, the decks to beat are overwhelmingly aggro. UR Aggro leads the pack at 25.4%, followed by Dimir Aggro at 22%. Golgari Aggro is also a significant player at 9%. Looking at the super-archetype breakdown, aggro makes up a staggering 86.6% of the meta, compared to just 12.9% for control and a measly 0.5% for combo. This is a dramatic shift from the historical 5-year average, where aggro was at 61.9% and control was at 35.5%.

The community is actively trying to find answers to the aggro onslaught. There is discussion of graveyard recursion strategies using "Cruelty of Gix" and more aggressive strategies that can punish slow starts, like mono-red or Boros aggro variations. 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 are a major shakeup. Cards like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, continue to be a point of contention, with many feeling it's too powerful. The format is in flux, and whether these changes are enough remains to be seen.