Treyst ended the Whispers from the Maze season taking the lead in hero distribution, first-place victories and the season title overall, despite the loss of Bugfix in the WFM season patch. Sigismar and Kojo fought for second place across all categories. Players are already eager to try out the new heroes and options from the Skybound Odyssey set.

This monthly snapshot is an effort to give players a high-level view of the trends going on in competitive play across the season, developed from stats and decklists from 39cards.com. These are unofficial details based on results reported to 39cards.com, and may not accurately reflect official standings reported to Equinox. These statistics, which include mainly online and some in-person events, only represent competitive play and shouldn’t be taken to inform trends for other modes of play. While some stats are shared directly, others are intentionally vague. These notes are meant to provide context around competitive recaps as well as spark ideas for new approaches and deckbuilding.

This snapshot concludes our coverage of the WFM season, beginning May 30 to Sept. 26. In August’s snapshot, Treyst shared wins with Sigismar and Kojo while the overall field narrowed.

September hero distribution

1. Treyst ↗2
2. Sigismar =
3. Kojo ↘2
4. Basira ↗2
5. Fen =
6. Teija ↘2
7. Atsadi =
8. Gulrang ↗2

While there weren’t many changes in the distribution during September, all were made with giant steps. Unimpressed with either Kojo or Sigismar, the majority of players migrated to Treyst, bringing him up from third. This is the first time that an Axiom hero has held the highest distribution not only for the WFM season, but also as far back as we’ve been collecting stats. Sigismar and Kojo follow close behind (again swapping places for the third time this season). After spending the full season at sixth or lower, Basira climbed to fourth this month, skipping past Fen entirely. Teija started the WFM season in third in distribution and held on to that rank in July, but started to slip in June. Here in September, more competitive players have given up on her as she slides all the way to sixth. Players have had more of a love-and-hate relationship with Atsadi, who finishes this month in the same place he did August. Gulrang only appeared in Top 8 distribution once in June before dropping back off, but she fought back into the group for September.

Even though there isn’t a big drop in decklists past the top six, Treyst’s capture of the lead this month was enough to make Axiom part of a three-way tie with Ordis and Lyra for the second-most-picked faction at about 17%. That’s an enormous change from the end of the WFM season, where all of Axiom didn’t even make up 10% of all decklists. Bravos continues to overperform in distribution as the only faction that takes more than 20% of competitive decklists this month, peaking at 27%. Muna isn’t far behind at about 14% carried almost fully by Teija. Yzmir, once a regular for taking almost 20% of the distribution total, now can’t even break 10% in September. Players are clearly still trying to figure out the way forward for the wizards after the WFM mid-season patch.

September has plenty of new entries in the sub-1% group, though most of those are the six new heroes from SKY who had just a handful of days at the end of September to see competitive play. Though they’re typically regular members of the club, Arjun and Subhash both managed just a touch higher than the limit this month. Distressingly, Waru couldn’t even beat the new heroes, pulling 0.05% of the distribution for the month.

Season-to-date hero distribution

1. Sigismar ↗1
2. Kojo ↘1
3. Teija =
4. Treyst ↗2
5. Fen ↘1
6. Basira ↗1
7. Afanas ↘2
8. Gulrang ↗3

Here at the end of the WFM season, Sigismar once again takes the lead in overall distribution away from Kojo. For another season running, the Ordis hero carries the highest number of competitive decklists. As we’ll see later on, popularity doesn’t necessarily lead to wins, as Sigismar hasn’t managed to definitively take the most victories in a month since the TBF season. But players clearly believe that he and Kojo are the most reliable heroes. Season-long, only 11 decklists separate their total counts.

The rest of the competition is not even close. More than 200 decklists trail between Kojo and Teija in third place. She’s hung on despite being slowly abandoned by more competitive players over the course of the WFM season. Treyst, however, has had such a meteoric rise in the last two months that he climbed into fourth from sixth, an accomplishment that required him to pick up hundreds of decklists compared to his compatriots in a matter of weeks. Fen backslid slightly and Basira gained as both maintain their lead over Afanas, who continues to drop out of the lead after his errata. Right at the end of the season, Gulrang elbowed past Sierra and Akesha, though the three heroes may as well be tied. A total of 13 decklists separates them all.

Looking back at the end of the TBF season final hero distribution, there’s at least one very distinct similarity: Sigismar was right on top. Beyond that, things are much different. Teija is still popular, but Afanas slides closer to the stat cliffs beyond the Top 8. Fen and Kojo are still among the top five heroes, though Kojo’s taken much more ground than Fen this season. Basira ends the WFM in exactly the same rank she finished the TBF season. Akesha and Nevenka haven’t managed to outpace some of the other heroes who share near the same counts before it gets down into the 3% distribution range. The WFM final distribution feels like a different field than the TBF one, all except for who’s holding the crown.

Top cards

These card rankings are determined by total number of instances of a card across all tracked decks for a faction, as opposed to the percentage of decks that include a particular card. A “number of months” indicator means the number of consecutive months that a card has remained in the top three cards (since the Blog began tracking snapshots in March), though not specifically at that rank. A star indicates the card’s first appearance in the top three spots of tracked decklists altogether. No duration mentioned and no star indicates that the card has been in the top three spots for fewer than two months, but has been included in one of those positions before.

Axiom

Common

1. Frozen Delivery = / 7 months
2. Sap Sniffer ↗2 ★
3. Amelia Earhart ↘1 / 2 months

Rare

1. Hooked = / 4 months
2. Axiom Salvager = / 3 months
3. Haven, Bravos Bastion = / 3 months

Axiom’s top cards are fairly well set, even as Treyst continues to apply pressure. One of the only changes here at the end of the WFM season is common Sap Sniffer moving up to push Kelon Elemental out of the way. With its ability to augment, Sap Sniffer provides some versatility in feeding chains of Brassbugs or adding to a boost at the very least.

The faction’s rares settled in at July (matching the timing of Treyst’s rise) and didn’t even change position after that point to now.

Compared to the TBF season end, common Frozen Delivery and Amelia Earhart are familiar, but The Grems and now Sap Sniffer have jostled things slightly. In rares, Brassbug Hive had seen a resurgence then, but is nowhere to be found now. The Ouroboros and Nilam supporting the Hive describes a more Sierra-focused meta. The WFM Axiom meta is much more focused on Treyst’s quick reserve play and building boosts and Brassbugs for cheaper costs. A permanent that costs more than 2 mana doesn’t appear in the Top 10 commons or rares at all.

Bugfix, suspended in the SKY season patch, did not appear in the Top 10 commons or rares for Axiom for the entire WFM season.

Bravos

Common

1. Haven Seiringar = / 7 months
2. Fire Rabbit = / 7 months
3. Talarian Skater = / 3 months

Rare

1. Tiny Jinn = / 7 months
2. The Hunger = / 2 months
3. Haven, Bravos Bastion = / 2 months

It took until June, but a WFM common made its way into the top three. Talarian Skater has held on to her spot for the last few months, beating out mainly Haven Bouncer. It’s no surprise that two of the top three Bravos commons offer up a boost for another character for a single mana, and the last helps handle card draw.

The top rare has been the same for months, and it’s hard to do better than the payoff of a rare Tiny Jinn. However, the Hunger and Haven have found their way into the top rares. Maybe a little ironically, they both create boosts but with diametrically opposed mechanics.

Compared to TBF, players immediately saw the value of the Haven Seiringar and Fire Rabbit and haven’t looked back since the set’s release. Haven Bouncer held her place at the end of May but made way for another cheaper boost. In rares, Tiny Jinn refuses to give even a little space. Haven was on the list in second, followed by Mighty Jinn. Tactics are slightly different in the current top Bravos cards, but still in the method of taking big risks for stats.

Lyra

Common

1. Hathor = / 7 months
2. Twinkle Twinkle = / 4 months
3. Martengale ↗1

Rare

1. Ouroboros Inkcaster = / 7 months
2. Magical Training = / 7 months
3. Aloe Vera = / 7 months

Hathor continues her hold as the top common in Lyra as she has since the start of the TBF season, providing versatility whether she shows up in your hand or in reserve. Twinkle Twinkle, Anansi and Martengale have been playing musical chairs with the other ranks, but haven’t meaningfully changed throughout the WFM season.

The rares have been even more set, all having remained in the top three since the release of TBF. The top two change places off and on, but none have pushed the others past third.

The two WFM cards that came closest to making the cut were common Lyra Contortionist in 10th this month and rare Requiem in fourth.

Muna

Common

1. Floral Tent = / 7 months
2. Muna Druid = / 4 months
3. Muna Caregiver = / 2 months

Rare

1. Aloe Vera = / 7 months
2. Spindle Harvesters = / 2 months
3. Lyra Festival ↗2

Muna’s seen a small amount of change over the course of the season, mostly as players have fallen away from Teija. While many of those seem to be shifting over to other factions, others are circling back to Rin and a handful even to Arjun. Common Floral Tent has led the way for all three since its introduction in TBF. Muna Druid provides versatility for any of the Muna heroes, and Muna Caregiver is essential as a one-drop and anchor support.

Aloe Vera can’t be stopped as the top rare for Muna, but the others are another story. Rare Spindle Harvesters and Lyra Festival link up well, making it more likely to see Rin and Arjun (but mostly Rin) decks out there.

Of WFM’s commons, Requiem was the closest to break into the top three at fifth place. Rare Sap Duende is the highest-placing from the set at seventh.

Compared to the end of TBF, the top commons are exactly the same but in a different order: Muna Caregiver was the leader in May. Aloe Vera still held top rare spot, but Ogun and Spindle Harvesters were supporting a plant-sprouting build.

Ordis

Common

1. License Withdrawal = / 4 months
2. Aegis Templar ↗1 / 3 months
3. Teamwork Training ↘1 / 7 months

Rare

1. Ordis Attorney = / 7 months
2. Jack Frost ↗1 / 5 months
3. Ordis Trooper ↘1 / 4 months

Common License Withdrawal started WFM at the top spot for Ordis and has remained there for the entire season. Like its kin slightly down the list, it’s one of the most mana-efficient, versatile removal options in the entire game. For most of the season, they were being played at near-parity, meaning that if you saw one, you’d see the other. In September, License Withdrawal took a distinct lead over Teamwork Training. Don’t worry, though, Teamwork Training is still much more heavily played than the next Ordis common. Aegis Templar provides another cheap way to bring tokens onto the field.

Among the rares, Ordis Attorney keeps her hold on the lead from June. Jack Frost has finally made it past the Ordis Trooper as another mana-efficient opponent interaction attached to near-even stats that performs its action even from reserve.

No WFM rare broke through to the top three during the season. The closest in September was Bumblebeet, still in sixth place from last month.

Compared to the end of TBF, Ordis’s commons look much different. Teamwork Training led the group, followed by Monolith Legate and The Frog Prince. Rare Ordis Attorney had just taken the lead from Baba Yaga, who had just started her suspension after the WFM season patch. If any faction got a shakeup from WFM, Ordis easily made the most of its new options compared to other factions.

Yzmir

Common

1. Off You Go = / 7 months
2. Studious Disciple = / 2 months
3. Tooth Fairy = / 7 months

Rare

1. Baba Yaga = / 2 months
2. Beauty Sleep = / 5 months
3. Baba’s Isba ↗6 ★

Common Off You Go has not only remained in first place this month, it’s held the same rank for the past seven months, even after Afanas’s update. Studious Disciple and Tooth Fairy both remain in their spots from last month.

Baba Yaga continues to hold the place that Magical Training used to keep for Afanas. As players shift toward Lindiwe as a new option, Baba’s Isba makes its debut among the top three Yzmir rares.

The top WFM common for Yzmir was Evanescence, which took 11th for September. While The Hunger climbed into the top rares in August, it settled again to sixth place this month.

Compared to the end of TBF, Yzmir’s commons are the same three cards in a different order. Its rares were a product of the first round of suspensions for the wizards, benching Helping Hand. Instead, they finished the season with Beauty Sleep, followed by Kadigiran Mage-Dancer and Baba Yaga.

Hero standings

Since Treyst first broke through Sigismar and Afanas’s hold on competitive victories in July, he’s struggled to hold onto a decisive lead. Last month, he landed in a three-way tie with Sigismar and Kojo. This month, he was able to leave them both behind. Kojo, for his part, did something he’s struggled to manage for the entire WFM season: to score even one more victory than Sigismar. The Ordis leader takes third, followed by two Lyra in a row. Lindiwe tied with Nevenka, with Atsadi and Teija sharing the rank just behind them. Among the victors in September, no hero has more than a three-win lead over the next.

Out of the top eight heroes included here, it’s interesting that just two of them haven’t picked up a World Championship Qualifier win. They also don’t align with the hero distribution for the month or even the season. Being popular among players very much is no guarantee of a competitive win. This month, 13 of the 18 heroes pulled at least one win, giving a wider spread than August’s eight. It’s clear that players are trying to find new ways to break through the meta as SKY brings in new options.

The new set also means six more heroes to add to the cycle and further divide the available victories, as well. The first few weeks of the new season will likely add more chaos both to the hero distribution as well as the potential wins.

Season-to-date first-place victories by hero

1. Treyst ↗1
2. Sigismar ↘1
3. Kojo =
4. Fen ↗1 / Afanas =
5. Teija =
6. Basira = / Nevenka ↗1
7. Atsadi ↗1
8. Lindiwe ↗1
9. Akesha ↘1
10. Sierra =
11. Rin ↘1 / Gulrang ↗1
12. Subhash = / Auraq ↗ / Waru =

Though it cost a card being banned, Treyst managed to pull ahead of Sigismar in wins for the entire season. It’s also the first time a hero other than Sigismar or Afanas has had the lead at all since we began tracking stats in February. It was a near thing, with a total of four victories separating the two. The gap is slightly larger between Sigismar and Kojo. But it’s an even larger gulf between those top three and everyone else for the season. Fen caught up with Afanas’s slowed win streak after errata, and several others picked up enough wins to bring a little more diversity to the field.

Looking back at the end-of-the-season rankings for TBF, things are a little different, but not drastically. While the top five ranks have shifted order around and Treyst has taken the lead overall, all of the heroes represented were also there last season. With the Finals coming up, we’ll have to see what new surprises SKY has in store.

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