Standard: Hyper-aggression crushes format diversity.

Standard is struggling under the weight of hyper-aggression this week, clocking in with a middling Final Health Index of 61.0. The data clearly shows we are firmly in the Age of Aggro, as the super-archetype claims nearly 80% of the overall metagame, dwarfing the historical average of 63.2% and leaving Control (14.1%) and Combo (6%) scrambling for footing.

Looking at the raw scores, the Metagame Diversity Score sits low at 56.0, reflecting a concerning downward historical trend. The Archetype Distribution Score of 82.2 confirms the current imbalance, heavily skewed toward speed. This environment appears to be driving players away; both Event Growth (-5.2%) and Player Growth (23.0) are trending negatively, with Paper participation declining sharply at -14.3% per month.

When analyzing the Top 10 lists, the hierarchy is crystal clear: UR Aggro is the deck to beat, commanding a massive 27% share, closely followed by the perennial threat, Red Deck Wins, at 23%. These two archetypes control exactly half the environment, creating an intense, speed-focused gauntlet. Dimir Aggro manages a respectable 11%, while Boros Aggro, Simic Aggro, and others fill out the remaining percentage points, showing that aggression across multiple color pairs is the only viable strategy right now.

The community buzz confirms the numbers, highlighting a polarizing tension between established pillars like Azorius Control and Domain Ramp and the new aggressive strategies enabled by recent sets. Boros Aggro is the undisputed breakout star, often leveraging the powerful two-drop Slickshot Show-Off, a card dominating discussion threads due to its high damage output. Midrange players are trying to tune Grixis and Jund shells, utilizing plotting mechanics and threats like Tinybones, the Pickpocket, but they have yet to fully displace the established Rakdos Midrange. While recent extensive bans aimed to address dominance and increase diversity (resulting in a strong B&R Health Score of 80.0), the resulting format has defaulted to hyper-aggression, forcing every player to adapt fast or get run over.