Standard: Aggro strategies dominate unhealthy Standard

Standard is in a rough spot, dominated by aggressive strategies. The recent B&R announcement targeted aggro’s speed, but we’ll see if it's enough to shake things up.

The overall health index sits at a concerning 59.9. While the Archetype Distribution Score is decent at 77.6, the Diversity Score of 55.4 and lackluster Event/Player Growth Scores (40.7 and 45.6 respectively) highlight the format's problems. People aren't playing enough paper magic, and the events are shrinking. That B&R Health Score is high at 80, so we'll see what kind of impact it actually has.

The metagame is overrun by aggro. UR Aggro makes up a staggering 34.3% of the field. Dimir Aggro (17%) and Esper Aggro (10%) follow. Control and Combo strategies are nearly nonexistent, holding a paltry 11.7% and 1.2% respectively. This is a massive shift from the historical averages. The B&R targeted some cards from those dominant aggro decks to hopefully make a difference.

Reddit is a mixed bag. Many feel Rakdos Midrange, and Sheoldred, the Apocalypse are warping the format. Mono-White Aggro is a popular, faster choice, and Esper Legends is gaining traction. Players are always looking for innovative decks, or a way to counter Rakdos. This is good since the banlist changes things! Some cards saw some bans to power down aggro and encourage a slower meta where midrange has to slow down too. This Town Ain't Big Enough and Hopeless Nightmare are just a few of the cards on the way out.