Robert Ackerman, of New Jersey, has been on the “duelists to watch” list ever since his Top 8 appearance at Shonen Jump Championship Durham earlier this year. He’s undefeated thus far today, and sitting at Table 1.

Across from him at that table is Mike Powers of Buffalo. If you’ve been with us reading all the coverage today, you’ll recognize his name as one of the duelists running “The Deck of Threes”, the Banisher/Warrior Toolbox hybrid that uses Cliff the Trap Remover. He’s undefeated too, and looking to extend his streak.

Powers won the opening roll, and began the match with a set spell or trap. Ackerman spent some time considering his hand, trying to figure out what he was up against. He summoned Spirit Reaper, attacked with it, and lost it to Rush Recklessly. Ackerman set a spell or trap and play was to Powers.

He brought out a Reaper of his own and hit directly, forcing Ackerman to discard Breaker the Magical Warrior. He set a spell or trap to end his turn. Ackerman summoned Mystic Tomato, destroyed his opponent’s Reaper with Snatch Steal, and attacked directly for 1400. “Your turn.”

Powers summoned Banisher of the Radiance and attacked the Mystic Tomato. “You got it” said Ackerman, removing his Tomato from the game. He special summoned Cyber Dragon and normal summoned Asura Priest on the turn that followed though, and Powers was forced to take it all. It was 4400 to 7500, with Powers taking a beating.

He fired back, destroying Ackerman’s set Royal Decree with Mystical Space Typhoon, destroying the Dragon with Smashing Ground, and then hitting directly with a freshly-summoned Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer for 1800 damage. Powers used its effect to remove Cyber Dragon and Breaker the Magical Warrior from Ackerman’s graveyard, and ended.

Ackerman summoned Asura Priest, and used Creature Swap to steal Kycoo. He ended, and Ackerman blew up the Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer with Exiled Force. Powers set a second spell or trap and passed, hoping that Ackerman didn’t have Heavy Storm.

He didn’t, but he did have Confiscation, which activated to force the discard of Chiron the Mage from Powers’ hand. Ackerman set a monster, and Powers removed it with Nobleman of Crossout. Ackerman took the chance to look through Powers’ deck, and Powers summoned Spirit Reaper. It hit directly to discard Asura Priest from Ackerman’s hand, reducing him to topdecking.

Ackerman drew, and set his topdecked card to his spell and trap zone. Powers turned Reaper to defense, set a spell or trap, and ended. Ackerman summoned Sangan, destroyed Reaper with Enemy Controller, and hit for a grand with the Sangan. It was 4400 to 3400, with Ackerman in the lead.

Powers activated Smashing Ground from his hand. “It’s what I topdecked. The perfect card against that Sangan,” quipped Powers with a bit of self-degrading sarcasm. Ackerman pulled Mystic Tomato and attacked with it next turn, but hit Mirror Force. He set a spell or trap and passed. Powers played Heavy Storm to clear the field, summoned D. D. Assailant, and attacked!

Ackerman ripped Chaos Sorcerer! It removed D. D. Assailant from the field, but Powers topdecked back, ripping Snatch Steal! It took control of Sorcerer, Sorcerer attacked, and Ackerman was up.

He pulled Graceful Charity! He activated it and set a spell or trap card.

Powers pressed, ramming the Sorcerer into Mirror Force. He passed, Ackerman passed, and Powers summoned Banisher of the Radiance, which he’d held from the previous turn. Ackerman had only 1400 LP remaining, and Powers won the first duel!

Both duelists did some side decking, with Ackerman taking extra time to do so.

He opened the second duel with a set card to each zone. Powers summoned Don Zaloog, removed Ackerman’s set Magician of Faith from the game with Nobleman of Crossout, removing a second from his deck, and then attacked directly. Book of Moon turned Don face down before he could hit, and Powers passed.

Ackerman activated Confiscation, revealing Dark Scorpion — Meanae the Thorn, Snatch Steal, Smashing Ground, and Reinforcement of the Army. He discarded his opponent’s Reinforcement of the Army, summoned Asura Priest, ran over Don, and then set a spell or trap to conclude his turn.

Powers set a card to each zone and passed. He lost his set monster, Meanae, to Nobleman of Crossout, then ate 1700 from Asura. Ackerman passed, Powers passed back, and Ackerman summoned Spirit Reaper It attacked directly, forced the discard of Heavy Storm, and it was clear as Ackerman passed that he was building momentum. Powers flipped his set Smashing Ground, set another spell or trap, and got nailed by Asura Priest yet again. Things were not going well for him.

He again found himself the turn player, and summoned Banisher of the Radiance. It attacked directly, bringing the life point totals to 5400 to 4300, in Ackerman’s favor. Powers set another spell or trap and passed.

Ackerman summoned Asura Priest, Powers flipped Solemn Judgment to negate its summon, and Ackerman activated Smashing Ground to destroy the Banisher. He set a second spell or trap and ended.

Powers activated Reinforcement of the Army to search his deck for Don Zaloog. He summoned it, attacked, and Ackerman flipped Sakuretsu Armor to destroy it, forcing Powers to end his turn. Ackerman passed though, unable to follow up, and Powers looked at his hand after he drew: Exiled Force and Sakuretsu Armor. He’d either have to press for the small damage or pass his turn.

He went for the damage, swinging with Exiled Force for 1000 life points and then wavered, hesitating to set his Sakuretsu Armor. After thirty seconds of debate he did it, hoping Ackerman didn’t have Heavy Storm.

Ackerman summoned Tsukuyomi, turned Exiled Force face down with its effect, and attacked — Sakuretsu Armor destroyed it. Powers flip summoned Exiled Force on the turn that followed, attacking yet again:  it was 4400 to 2150, so Ackerman had life points to spare. “Take it,” he announced, dropping to 3400. Powers kept up his no-Heavy gambit, and set his last card to his back row again.

Ackerman set a monster. Powers blasted it with Nobleman of Crossout, removing it from the game: Spirit Reaper. Exiled Force swung yet again, and he set a spell or trap once more. Ackerman set another too, passed, and Exiled hit again. Powers set another spell or trap, Solemn Judgment, lost it to Mystical Space Typhoon, and Ackerman passed back.

Powers kept up the pressure with his tiny beatstick, attacking again with Exiled Force. This time Ackerman flipped Sakuretsu Armor though, so Powers set Dark Scorpion — Meanae the Thorn and passed.

Heavy Storm cleared the field next turn, and Ackerman summoned D. D. Warrior Lady. When the Lady attacked it hit Meanae, and Powers pulled another from his deck with its effect! Ackerman opted not to remove the Meanae that D. D. Warrior Lady ran into, and he ended his turn.

Powers summoned D. D. Warrior Lady himself, and turned his Meanae to attack! The Ladies clashed, both were removed from play, and Meanae hit directly to let Powers search his deck for Cliff the Trap Remover. It was 100 to 2150, with Powers finally in the lead! He passed with nothing but Meanae on the field.

Ackerman set a monster and passed. Powers summoned D. D. Assailant, and Ackerman scooped! He revealed his set monster, Sangan, and then flopped his hand: two Chaos Sorcerers, and Ackerman had no Light monsters in his graveyard.

Mike Powers moves on undefeated, securing a 6-0 record with the deck he, Marcus Spanier, and Jordan Denk call “The Deck of Threes”!