We have 2 more Rounds of Swiss competition this morning before we cut to the Top 32, and we’re starting our morning off with a Match that pits Infernities against Synchro Cat! While Mark Alan Johnson is piloting the OTK Deck of old, Robert Ackerman is running the most feared and unpredictable Deck of the weekend: Infernities. Ackerman has the best record of the North Eastern group of SHONEN JUMP Championship veterans piloting the Deck we Profiled yesterday. Since both competitors here had 7-1 records, the winner of this match would have a strong shot to make Top 32.

Ackerman opened Day 2 with a hand of Call of the Haunted, Infernity Barrier, Torrential Tribute, Bottomless Trap Hole, Infernity Archfiend, and Infernity Avenger. After a few moments’ thought, he Summoned Archfiend and Set everything but Avenger. Johnson was up.

He activated Gold Sarcophagus, removing Summoner Monk from his Deck. He’d add it to his hand in 2 turns. He Set a monster, Set 2 cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone and ended. Ackerman drew another Infernity Barrier.

He Set it, Summoned Infernity Avenger, and entered his Battle Phase – Johnson activated Dust Tornado to destroy Ackerman’s face-down Torrential Tribute. Ackerman attacked with Archfiend, Johnson activated Mirror Force, and Johnson Chained Infernity Barrier to destroy Avenger and Archfiend. Ackerman let it go, then activated Call of the Haunted to bring back Archfiend and search his Deck for his third Infernity Barrier! He moved to Main Phase 2 without attacking again and Set Barrier to end. He now had 3 Barrier and Bottomless Trap Hole Set, with Call of the Haunted attached to Infernity Archfiend.

Johnson drew to 3 cards in hand with a Set monster, and Summoner Monk removed from the game for Gold Sarcophagus’ effect. He Set another monster and ended. Ackerman drew Infernity Mirage! He Set it, attacked with Archfiend, and hit Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter: Johnson activated its effect, and Ackerman negated it with Infernity Barrier. Johnson drew for his turn, added Summoner Monk to his hand, and activated Cold Wave! Ackerman negated it with Infernity Barrier. Johnson had to be seriously questioning the notion that Ackerman would have a third Barrier, but he definitely had to wonder.

He Summoned X-Saber Airbellum and Ackerman responded with Bottomless Trap Hole, removing Airbellum from play. Johnson ended. Ackerman drew Dark Grepher, Summoned it, and attacked with it, destroying Johnson’s Mystic Tomato: Ackerman let its effect resolve, and Johnson searched his Deck to Special Summon another. He attacked the second Tomato with Infernity Archfiend and Johnson Special Summoned Sangan.

Next turn, Johnson turned Sangan to Defense Position and Set a monster, ending with 2 more cards in-hand. Ackerman drew Infernity Inferno, Set it, and passed. Johnson activated Heavy Storm! Ackerman had no choice but to activate his third Barrier to stop it, but Johnson now knew that his Summoner Monk could be Summoned unopposed. Of course, he now had just 2 cards left in his hand – was one a Spell? He Flip Summoned Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, destroyed Ackerman’s Infernity Inferno, and sent Cyber Dragon, Book of Moon, and D.D. Crow to his Graveyard.

Johnson didn’t need a Spell card: his second in-hand card aside from Summoner Monk was Rescue Cat! He Summoned it, sent it to the Graveyard, and Special Summoned 2 X-Saber Airbellums. He Tuned 1 to Sangan to Synchro Summon Goyo Guardian, then got D.D. Crow from his Deck with Sangan’s effect. He then Tuned his second Airbellum to Ryko, and Synchro Summoned Magical Android. D.D. Crow let him remove Infernity Avenger from Ackerman’s Graveyard, Magical Android destroyed Grepher in battle, and Goyo Guardian destroyed Infernity Archfiend to Special Summon it in Defense Position. Ackerman now had nothing left to Special Summon with his Set Infernity Mirage.

He drew Starlight Road next turn – definitely no help there!  He Set it anyways, holding out vague hope on for the bluff, but Johnson was unfazed. He activated Pot of Avarice next turn to draw 2 cards, turned Archfiend to Attack Position, and destroyed Mirage with Goyo Guardian. Infernity Archfiend and Magical Android each made direct attacks and Ackerman conceded moments later.

Robert Ackerman can’t seem to get his Graveyard going, and Mark Alan Johnson fights his way through 3 copies of Infernity Barrier to take the win! One more Duel like that and Johnson would have a great shot at a seat in the Top 32! Both competitors spent considerable time using their Side Decks before the second Duel.

Ackerman started with a hand of Infernity Archfiend, Infernity Necromancer, Dust Tornado, Infernity Inferno, Bottomless Trap Hole, and Infernity Barrier. He Set all four of his Trap Cards to his Spell & Trap Card Zone and ended.

Johnson Summoned X-Saber Airbellum, and Ackerman responded with Bottomless Trap Hole to remove it. Johnson Set a Spell or Trap, and lost it to Dust Tornado in the End Phase – Royal Oppression. Ackerman drew a second Infernity Archfiend.

He activated Infernity Inferno, discarded both copies of Archfiend, and sent Infernity Beetle and Infernity Avenger from his Deck to his Graveyard! He Normal Summoned Necromancer, turned it to Defense Position, and activated its effect to Special Summon Archfiend. Johnson had no response, Ackerman searched his Deck for Infernity Launcher, and he activated it: he then sent it to the Graveyard to Special Summon Archfiend and Infernity Avenger. Johnson immediately conceded.

Robert Ackerman hits the Infernity Launcher combo early, dumping his hand with Infernity Inferno and taking the win! We were headed to Game 3!

Johnson opened the third Duel with Consecrated Light, Summoning it and Setting a card to his Spell & Trap Card Zone! Ackerman had Infernity Barrier, Reinforcement of the Army, Dark Grepher, Infernity Archfiend, Infernity Beetle, and Infernity Mirage. He activated Reinforcement, searched his Deck for another Grepher, and added it to his hand. He Set Infernity Barrier, Set Grepher, and Johnson destroyed Barrier with Mystical Space Typhoon in the End Phase.

Johnson Summoned X-Saber Airbellum next turn, and its attack bounced off Grepher’s 1600 DEF. Johnson Set a Spell or Trap, shifted Consecrated Light to Defense Position, and ended. Ackerman drew another Barrier. He Set his second Grepher, Set Barrier, and ended.

Play was again to Johnson, who activated Brain Control to take Ackerman’s Dark Grepher! He Tuned X-Saber Airbellum to it, Synchro Summoned Ancient Fairy Dragon, and attacked Ackerman’s second Grepher with it, destroying the Grepher. He Set a monster, Set a second card to his back row, and ended.

Ackerman drew Infernity Launcher! He Set Infernity Beetle and ended. Johnson Flip Summoned Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter, used its effect to destroy Ackerman’s Beetle, and sent Cyber Dragon, Dust Tornado, and another Ryko to his Graveyard. Ryko made a direct attack for 200 damage, and Ancient Fairy Dragon attacked for 2100.

Ackerman drew Dust Tornado. He Set Infernity Archfiend, Set Tornado, and ended. Next turn he could go off with Mirage and Launcher. Johnson activated his Set copy of Crevice into the Different Dimension next turn, removing Grepher and Beetle from Ackerman’s Graveyard! He then flipped Heavy Storm, destroying Infernity Barrier, and Summoned X-Saber Airbellum! Fairy Dragon destroyed Ackerman’s Archfiend, then Ryko and Airbellum attacked directly. Airbellum’s effect forced Ackerman to discard Infernity Launcher! Johnson Synchro Summoned Magical Android, sent 5 monsters back to his Deck for Pot of Avarice, drew 2 cards, and ended.

Ackerman drew and conceded next turn!

Robert Ackerman was 1 turn away from an explosive set of plays, but Mark Alan Johnson beats him to the punch and chalks up the win! Johnson moves on with an 8-1 record!

Post-Event Analysis!
See what our panel of experts had to say about this Duel after the event was over. 

Michael Kohanim (2009 World Championship Competitor)
In Duel 3, Johnson pinned down Ackerman’s hand by Summoning Consecrated Light on his first turn. Consecrated Light is a great card to Side Deck in against Infernities. It prevents players from Summoning or attacking with DARK monsters. Since all of the Infernity Monsters are DARK, that makes it impossible for an Infernity Duelist to use Infernity Launcher, and it stops the chain of Special Summons that make Infernity Decks so dangerous.

P.J. Tierney (Duelist from across The Pond)
Consecrated Light is also a great card to use against Blackwings, another Deck full of DARK monsters.

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