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2GGC Civil War Room: ZeRo vs. Ally

Ozzie Mejia
ZeRo and Ally’s rivalry reached a new level in 2016 (Javier Leyvas)
ZeRo and Ally’s rivalry reached a new level in 2016 (Javier Leyvas)

2GGC Civil War begins today, March 24 and will feature the top Super Smash Bros. for Wii U talent from across the globe. The weekend wraps up with the special 10v10 crews battle between Team ZeRo, led by Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios, versus Team Ally, led by Elliot “Ally” Carroza.

This week, Yahoo Esports looks at five potential marquee matchups likely to take place during the Civil War crews battle. Each day, we look at two opposing players and their Smash history. Be sure to check out our previous looks at ANTi vs. Zinoto, VoiD vs. Mr. R, Mr. E vs. MKLeo, and Nairo vs. Dabuz.

For the last edition of Civil War Room, it’s time to look at the team captains themselves. Let’s look at ZeRo vs. Ally.

ZeRo remains Smash 4’s best player (Alain Rodriguez)
ZeRo remains Smash 4’s best player (Alain Rodriguez)

The story

ZeRo and Ally have faced off since the early days of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. At the time, however, it could not be considered a rivalry. ZeRo was considered to be on his own level, especially as the Smash world made the transition to Smash 4. There was ZeRo and there was everybody else. That’s still considered the case today to a certain extent, with any ZeRo losses considered to be a rarity.

ZeRo previously had no trouble against Ally and his Mario. Using a mixture of his Diddy Kong main and his Sheik backup, ZeRo racked up head-to-head wins at Low Tier City 3 (twice), The Big House 5, and the MLG Finals, among other tournaments. Despite patch nerfs affecting Diddy, nothing looked to slow ZeRo down.

Then came Get on My Level 2016, which ended differently than any tournament before it. Ally had won, defeating ZeRo for the first time in his career in front of his home countrymen. At the time, it was considered to be a feel-good story, where the underdog had slain the unstoppable juggernaut. But in the months ahead, Ally would prove it was no fluke.

They met again in grand finals at Smash N Splash 2, which featured one of the wildest endings in Smash 4 history. The second game of the final set featured a double KO, a rare circumstance that required a one stock, two-minute redo on the same stage. It was one of the most eventful sets of their rivalry, but almost lost in all of the wackiness was that Ally had beaten ZeRo again, taking two sets to win the tournament from the loser’s side of the bracket.


It wouldn’t be the last time Ally would beat ZeRo. Ally would win again at Super Smash Con, 2GGT: ZeRo Saga, and Genesis 4. The series between the two has started to even out and in the past year, Ally has looked less like ZeRo’s punching bag and more like ZeRo’s demon.

Those that have followed Smash 4 will often associate the pro game with these two players. It’s why the ZeRo’s Runback portion of 2GGT: ZeRo Saga is largely remembered for Ally dramatically entering the venue, literally minutes after he had stepped off his delayed flight. It was one of the most memorable moments of the weekend, one that encapsulates this rivalry in a nutshell. It’s two of Smash 4’s best players, evenly matched and both near-unbeatable when they are at the top of their game.

Their rivalry has led to this Sunday’s crews battle, as onlookers at the Esports Arena in Santa Ana, CA will watch to see who will stand tall in the Smash 4 world: Team ZeRo or Team Ally.

Ally has racked up several wins over ZeRo in 2016 (Alain Rodriguez)
Ally has racked up several wins over ZeRo in 2016 (Alain Rodriguez)

TSM | ZeRo (PGR #1) vs C9 | Ally (PGR #2) By the Numbers, from the PG Stats team (Luis “suar” Suarez, Dominique “Dom” Moore, Adam “Mayday” Braham, and Justin “Popi” Banusing)

  • After failing to ever take a game from ZeRo in Smash 4 history, Ally takes his first game and set over ZeRo at Get On My Level 2016 to win the tournament.

  • Ally wins subsequent encounters at Smash N Splash 2, taking both sets of Grand Finals to win yet another tournament over ZeRo.

  • The two would not meet again until Super Smash Con 2016, where Ally eliminated ZeRo, handing him his lowest placing ever at 13th place.

  • One week later at Endgame, ZeRo got his revenge on Ally, beating him in Loser’s Finals. He would go on to win this event, restoring faith to most of the community.

  • At his own saga (2GGT: ZeRo Saga), ZeRo was defeated in Winner’s Quarters by Ally. However, ZeRo finished higher in the tournament. ZeRo placed 4th, Ally placed 5th.

  • Their next and latest encounter would come at Genesis 4 in Loser’s Finals, where Ally beat ZeRo’s Diddy Kong and Cloud yet again in a close 3-2 set.

  • Due to their constant battle for dominance in 2016, these 2 were selected as the team leaders for Civil War.

  • ZeRo’s PGRv3 tournament placings: 2GGC Genesis Saga (1st), Genesis 4 (3rd), 2GGC Midwest Mayhem Saga (1st), Frostbite 2017 (1st), PAX Arena (1st)

  • Ally’s PGRv3 tournament placings: Genesis 4 (2nd), Midwest Mayhem 7 (5th), Tokaigi 2017 (9th), Frostbite 2017 (7th)

  • Vs. PGRv2 Top 10: ZeRo 26-13, Ally 15-11

  • ZeRo’s PGRv2 tier 1 major placings: CEO 2016 (9th), EVO 2016 (3rd), Super Smash Con 2016 (13th), The Big House 6 (1st), UGC Smash Open St. Louis (1st), 2GG ZeRo Saga (4th)

  • Ally’s PGRv2 tier 1 major placings: CEO 2016 (49th), EVO 2016 (1st), Super Smash Con 2016 (5th), The Big House 6 (25th), UGC Smash Open St. Louis (9th), 2GG ZeRo Saga (5th)

  • Head-to-Head sets: Ally 5, ZeRo 1 in PGRv2 season; Ally 1, ZeRo 0 in 2017 season (PGRv3)(Ally won 3-2 vs. ZeRo at Genesis 4).


Ozzie Mejia is braced for war. Follow him on Twitter @Ozz_Mejia. The PG Stats team also contributed to this article. Follow them on Twitter @PG_suar, @PG_Dom, @PG_Mayday, @PopiSSB, and the whole team @ThePGStats.