Archived Analysis

Vintage is currently facing some headwinds, showing signs of stagnation with a concerning decline in both player numbers and event attendance. While the format hasn't totally collapsed, the data suggests it's struggling to attract and retain players.

The format's health index sits at a middling 55.9, reflecting these issues. Metagame Diversity is a low 39.7, indicating a lack of variety. Player and Event Growth scores are also low, 35.0 and 50.5 respectively, confirming the downward trend. The B&R Health score of 65 suggests that the restricted list isn't the primary problem, which makes the lack of growth more concerning.

Hatebear and MUD are dominating the top of the metagame with 14% and 13% representation respectively. These decks prey on combo strategies, which comprise a large 43.5% of the meta. Control, at 22.2%, is underrepresented compared to its historical 5-year average of 25.2%, while aggro has also dropped from 40.2% to 34.3%. BUG Midrange, Dimir Control, and Esper Control are present but not setting the world on fire.

The community is actively discussing Doomsday's resurgence and White Plume Adventurer Initiative decks. Players are debating the best Doomsday builds to fight Ragavan, and experimenting with Initiative strategies. Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer continues to spark debate, but the community seems more focused on adaptation than calls for bans. With no recent B&R changes, the format is relying on player innovation to shake things up. The wait-and-see approach to Lurrus further reinforces this reliance on organic metagame shifts.