By Benjamin “Bacorn” Corn

With the captains from Ohio and Indiana registered, the stage is set for a high stakes Midwest Civil War.

Deluge is part of the Midwest Circuit for Smash 4 and Melee, which saw a Smash 64 singles event added in response to the hard work, dedication and palpable hype of several Midwest Smash 64 scenes. Deluge is expected to cap out for Smash 64 and is currently keeping pace with the Melee attendance at the same event. Registration ends this Wednesday, so if you are on the fence on attending you must decide soon!

Attendees are primarily comprised of players from Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

The favorites going into the tournament are Fumbles (No. 1 on Ohio’s Power Rankings), Saltsizzle (No. 1 on Indiana’s Power Rankings) and Pugs (No. 2 on Ohio’s Power Rankings).

The Ohio-Indiana Civil War was born at Boss Battle #1 in January of 2016 when a slew of Ohio players invaded Indianapolis. Five Ohioans made the Top 16 bracket at Boss Battle (Pugs, Monte, JosephZander, Dr Combos and Thrillhouse) while three Hoosiers made the Top 16 bracket (Saltsizzle, Geno and Professor_wizard).

Indiana attempted to retaliate on enemy soil at Shuffle VIII, in Columbus, OH. The campus of The Ohio State University was well defended, as all three Hoosiers that attended (Bacorn, Dasit Mane, Blahguy) ended up drowning in pools. Without their captain, Indiana was forced to retreat.

In March, Ohio marched back into Indiana territory at OutFoxx’d in Indianapolis. Three Ohioans made the trip (LLCSTOISM, Cyoonit and Tyhiggz) all of whom found themselves locked in an intense battle against the home team’s soldiers. Tyhiggz’s Yoshi proved to be a Hoosier killer as he slew Dogs_Johnson and Professor Wizard in winners bracket, as well as putting the finishing blow on Geno in losers bracket. Cyoonit also fought valiantly, sending the Indiana captain Saltsizzle into losers bracket. Saltsizzle earned the title of Iron Man, however, making a triumphant return through losers, whilst knocking out WEEGRO, Tyhiggz and Cyoonit (in an epic five-game Losers Finals). All-in-all, Kentucky emerged victorous amidst the Civil War, as Amida dismantled the Iron Man in Grand Finals. The captain of Indiana defended his turf from the Ohioan invasion, and will now rally his troops for their counterattack on enemy turf at Deluge.

Deluge will also feature a crew battle, featuring both regions’ top players, pitting each of their finest five soldiers against each other.

Will we see the tides shift after this storm? Will Amida snipe the gold from these rivals? Will LQs be streamed?

The Civil War is still young, but does not lack bloodshed. This latest battle looks to be the fiercest yet, with both sides full of dangerous contenders. The question is: who will emerge victorious? Or will they band together to take down an even more deadly foe?

To view past battles in this ongoing Civil War, check out Indy 64 on YouTube after the showdown. Matches at Deluge will be recorded, not be streamed, due to Internet restrictions. Head over to the Smash.gg page to register. For further information on these two rival scenes, check on the Ohio Smash 64 Facebook group and the Indy Smash 64 Facebook group.

Want to hear more about Smash 64 and the Indiana Smash 64 scene be sure to follow Bacorn, Indy 64 and The Smash Writers on Twitter.