Golden Age has been a rather tumultuous format as of late. For as long as I can remember, Curve Sentinels has ruled with an iron fist over the legions of second-rate decks. But, as Bob Dylan once said, “The times, they are a-changin.’” Recently, the format has become more open than a 7-Eleven. Avengers was kind enough to introduce a full variety of teams that were all able to make an impact on the Golden Age format. Avengers decks have taken two $10Ks this season already, and Squadron Supreme has become a force to be reckoned with here at this Pro Circuit. It seems that the call for help was answered. Sentinels may have ruled the old Golden Age (which I affectionately refer to as the Purple Age), but in the new Golden Age, anything goes.
I decided to check in on a few players who have already left their mark on the Golden Age scene this tournament season. Michael Jacob, Adam Prosak, and Karl Bown are the three most recent players to add Golden Age $10K wins to their names. Their wins are credits to their understanding of the ever-evolving Golden Age format. Michael Jacob has had a couple of feature matches thus far, so you can check out his progress there. I decided to look in on Adam and Karl, though, to see how they’re faring in today’s field.
Adam Prosak was the winner of $10K Atlanta. He won his $10K title with Teen Titans and saw no reason to change a winning strategy. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Watching the evolution of Teen Titans is a testament to the changes that have happened in Golden Age. Prosak has been a master of keeping himself one step ahead of the format and preparing himself to take down the purple monster. With the numbers from this format up, it appears that he has a new hurdle to overcome. “This format isn’t really all that different from previous formats. Avengers added a few new decks to the format, but they aren’t that much different from decks that are around. Avengers is just another aggressive curve deck. Squadron’s a little scarier. It’s another good off-curve deck, which creates a few problems. All in all, I’m pretty happy with my choice and think I should do pretty well.” Adam is making good on his promise as he heads into round 5 with a 4–0 record.
As the winner of the $10K Gen Con UK, Karl Bown has had the most recent success with this format, and thus has shown an ability to win in a field very similar to the one he faces today. He managed his success with the help of an Avengers reservist deck. Sticking with the theme, Karl has decided to try to ride Avengers to another victory here in LA. He has only changed a few cards from his list from the $10K. “I cut the number of Hercules down from 4 to 2. You never get to turn 7, anyway.” With a field laden with Squadron Supreme decks that threaten a turn 5 victory, this decision seems to be the correct one. Besides, who am I to argue with a man who is currently sitting at 4–0?
It appears that past success is proving to be an indicator of current success as these $10K winners cut a swath through the field with the decks that won them their titles. These players know their decks inside and out, and have a good understanding of the format in which they’re playing. Keep checking back to see how everyone’s doing here at Pro Circuit Los Angeles.