Basira dominated competitive play victories in December, taking so many that not even Sigismar and Kojo working together could catch her. With the Skybound Odyssey midseason patch behind us, players continued to pick the cards and heroes added to the Watchlist. Bravos continued to be oppressive in distribution and in overall competitive victories.

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. Currently, the data covers all formats, including standard, no-unique and singleton. 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 continues our coverage of the SKY season, beginning Sept. 27. In November’s snapshot, Fen took third in overall victories, bringing Lyra to the top ranks for the first time in the game’s history.

December hero distribution

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

As we mentioned at the start of October’s snapshot, the new SKY heroes have fundamentally changed the math for distribution overall. Prior to the fourth set’s release, an even split across all heroes would give each about 5.5% of the distribution. Now that number is about 4.2% with 24 heroes. That number will change again with the launch of Seeds of Unity, which will bring in an additional three heroes. Remember that shifts in distribution have more factors than just number of players choosing those heroes.

The Top 8 in hero distribution shifted a bit for December but mostly kept the same heroes in the Top 8. Kojo and Sigismar continued to swap the highest reaches. Less than half a percent separated them in December, though there’s nearly a full 3% drop (more than six Warus in December) from those two to any others. Fen reached third place, bringing Lyra into the Top 3 for the first time in the SKY season. But Basira and Treyst were less than a full percentage point away from overtaking her. For much of the last two seasons, places 3-5 have generally held about a percentage point higher than the rest of the heroes, but that’s become less true as more have joined the roster. There was less than 1% between Treyst and Teija in sixth and even less between her and Sierra. The only new member to the December Top 8 was Atsadi, who replaced Sol, again maintaining three or more Bravos, which has been true since the start of the season. Sol has been the highest-placing of the SKY heroes since their release altogether.

No one seemed to feel too much pressure to try something new based on the multiple heroes and cards added to the Watchlist in the SKY midseason patch, which marked Sigismar and Treyst directly, and Kojo indirectly through Tiny Jinn and Haven Seiringar. While some changes may still be on the way at the end of the season, competitive players are happy to chase wins while they can with the decks they’re used to.

Bravos heroes led 27% of all competitive decks, continuing the streak through the season. If you played in any competitive event in December, about 38% of the time you played against a Bravos hero or Sigismar, specifically. Axiom has held its 18% for almost the full season, which has been impressive as Treyst has slipped slightly and Sierra has been there to pick up the slack. Muna, Lyra and Ordis all continue to hover on either side of 14%. Yzmir climbed very slightly back up to 11% overall.

As other formats such as no-unique and singleton pick up interest, some heroes who typically have been regular members of the sub-1% club got a boost. The single remaining member for the month was Waru, who reached 0.48%. Even that is higher than he’s managed in several recent months.

Season-to-date hero distribution

1. Sigismar =
2. Kojo =
3. Treyst =
4. Basira =
5. Fen =
6. Teija =
7. Sierra =
8. Sol =

All the slight elbowing and throat-clearing in the Top 8 didn’t change the season standings at all for December. Even though Kojo picked up the lead from Sigismar and Atsadi pushed past Sol, the month’s results are exactly the same as November’s.

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 game’s official release in October 2024), 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 = / 11 months
2. Kelon Elemental ↗2
3. The Grems ↗2

Rare

1. Hooked = / 7 months
2. Axiom Salvager = / 6 months
3. Dr. Frankenstein = / 3 months

Frozen Delivery continued to hold its role as the top Axiom common, which it has only given up once since its release. Restocking Station and Bug-Out Bag dropped out of the running for Kelon Elemental and The Grems. Don’t worry, though: They both only moved down to fourth and fifth place, respectively.

Axiom’s rares haven’t changed at all since the start of the SKY season. Two cards, The Grems and Dr. Frankenstein, were added to the Watchlist by the SKY midseason patch, and they’re both present here as well. Even as Treyst has faltered slightly in distribution for the past few months (but still holding in that 3-5 range easily), some of his most reliable tools are being brought under tighter scrutiny. Bugfix remains suspended after the SKY season patch. The Opera House was the highest-ranking Axiom rare from SKY in December, reaching 12th.

Bravos

Common

1. Haven Seiringar = / 11 months
2. Fire Rabbit ↗1 / 11 months
3. Talarian Skater ↘1 / 6 months

Rare

1. Tiny Jinn = / 15 months
2. The Hunger = / 5 months
3. Colorful Cuckoo ↗1

Bravos’s commons haven’t changed in six months, though the Fire Rabbit and Talarian Skater have swapped places a few times. Haven Seiringar, which was also added to the Watchlist in the SKY midseason patch, has been the top Bravos common for all but one month since its release. The top SKY common continued to be Tengu, in fifth.

Rare Tiny Jinn hasn’t dropped past second place for the faction since the game’s release. Teamed up with Seiringar, it’s an easy first-turn combo that fits for all of the Bravos heroes (though Sol might like it least of the set). The Hunger might not have a chance at catching Tiny Jinn, but there’s also an increasing gap between it and any other Bravos rare. Colorful Cuckoo landed in third for December, hinting at Basira taking a more aggressive role.

Lyra

Common

1. Twinkle Twinkle = / 7 months
2. Hathor ↗1 / 14 months
3. Martengale ↘1 / 4 months

Rare

1. Magical Training = / 12 months
2. Ouroboros Inkcaster = / 15 months
3. Aloe Vera ↗1

The top Lyra commons have swapped positions but otherwise remained the same for the past seven months. Twinkle Twinkle kept its top spot that it’s held since the release of SKY while Hathor and Martengale switch positions again. Hathor, in particular, has been in the top three Lyra commons for all but the very first month of Altered’s run. The top Lyra common for SKY was Lyra Signet, holding its spot in fifth from November.

Similarly, Magical Training was the top rare for the faction since October, also capping a full year in the faction’s leaderboard. Not to be outdone, Ouroboros Inkcaster has remained in the top set since the game’s release. Aloe Vera took its place back from Sleight of Hand, which interrupted its otherwise nine-month streak. The top SKY rare for Lyra was Parliament of Ashes, remaining in fifth place.

Muna

Common

1. Floral Tent = / 11 months
2. Muna Druid = / 8 months
3. Muna Caregiver = / 2 months

Rare

1. Aloe Vera = / 15 months
2. Spindle Harvesters ↗5
3. Persephone ↗1 ★

Floral Tent has only dropped out of the top spot for Muna’s commons one time since its release, and continued to hold that place in December. Muna Druid remained popular, and Caregiver made her way back into the top rankings. Colorful Cuckoo was the top SKY common for Muna.

Aloe Vera has been the top rare for Muna for all of the game’s history except for the very first month of play (when Aloe Vera was, instead, second place). Regardless of the hero, Muna has always been desperate for card draw and a versatile anchor. Spindle Harvesters moved up again, as did Persephone, who reached the top three for the first time altogether. Taken together, Caregiver, Spindle Harvesters and Persephone all work well to support Rin, who has seen some growth in the past few months. Soar, the top SKY rare for December, moved up to ninth from 11th.

Ordis

Common

1. License Withdrawal ↗1 / 7 months
2. Aegis Templar ↘1 / 6 months
3. Teamwork Training = / 15 months

Rare

1. Ordis Attorney = / 10 months
2. Ordis Trooper = / 8 months
3. The Sandman ↗1 ★

When mentioning that License Withdrawal moved back up to the top common spot for Ordis in December, it was difference of less than five cards total from Aegis Templar in second place. The two have been played in near-parity for the entire SKY season. Teamwork Training slid behind very slightly but has never left the faction’s top commons. Until License Withdrawal came around, it was the top card played from the start of the game. The top SKY common for Ordis was the Gargoyle in fourth place.

Ordis Attorney kept her place for another month over the Ordis Trooper. While the Sandman has always been a reliable part of Sigismar’s kit, December marked the first time he made it into the top rares. The top Ordis rare from SKY was the Ascended Trooper in fifth.

Yzmir

Common

1. Off You Go! = / 15 months
2. Studious Disciple = / 5 months
3. Tooth Fairy = / 2 months

Rare

1. Baba Yaga = / 5 months
2. Beauty Sleep = / 8 months
3. Magical Training ↗10

Off You Go has not only remained in Yzmir’s top commons for Altered’s history, it’s been faction’s first-place common the entire time. Studious Disciple continued to serve multiple roles for both Akesha and Moyo, and Tooth Fairy kept its place for another month. The top SKY common for Yzmir was Caladrius in fifth.

Baba Yaga held her place as the faction’s top rare for another month, leading the chart since midway through the Whispers From the Maze season. Beauty Sleep moved to second in June and hasn’t left that spot yet. Magical Training, which pulled a vanishing act from the faction’s top cards immediately after the Afanas errata in the WFM midseason patch, suddenly reappeared in December. Even though its only change is the reduced mana cost from reserve, sometimes that can make all the difference when trying to wait out an opponent’s moves. The top SKY rare for Yzmir was Suha, who moved into fourth.

Hero standings

Basira won the most victories decisively in December, despite continuing to slide in distribution. Not only did she take the most wins, even Sigismar and Kojo working together couldn’t even go even with her. It would’ve taken the both of them plus a combination of Sierra, Treyst, Akesha and Sol working together to overtake her for the month. Beyond her domination of the board, Sigismar kept his pressure up in second place, with Kojo picking up half of the Ordis hero’s wins for third. A spread of heroes took two wins each. Subhash picked up a first place in singleton, and Rin took one standard alongside Atsadi. Notably, all four Bravos heroes were again represented. However, after Fen’s impressive performance in November, no Lyra hero picked up a win at all in December, the only faction without any representation.

Season-to-date first-place victories by hero

1. Treyst = / Sigismar ↗1
2. Kojo ↗1
3. Basira ↗1
4. Fen ↗1
5. Atsadi =
6. Sierra ↗1 / Teija =
7. Rin ↗2 / Akesha ↗2
8. Sol ↗1 / Waru =

For all of her aggression, Basira only moved up one position in the season rankings, though she did make up a lot of ground. All of the heroes in the top three ranks are within 1-3 wins of each other, and January promises to be a tight race to finish the season. Sigimar picked up just enough wins to tie with Treyst, moving most everyone else up at least one spot. Beyond those four, Fen and Atsadi mostly gatekept the rest of the pack from catching up. All of Bravos is once again represented in the season rankings, and Sigismar’s shift made just enough room in the Top 8 to keep Waru in the running.

Read more

• Where to catch up on the lore!
• Alt-art and exclusive cards see annual printing rights refreshed
• Competitive play snapshot: Fen reaches top three in November