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    ANALYSIS: Has Blacklist International been decoded?

    Has the code been broken or will Blacklist International innovate in the playoffs?
    Apr 17, 2023
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    PHOTO: MPL Philippines

    BACK IN DAY 1 of Season 11, Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno didn't mince his words as to how ECHO PH dismantled Blacklist International.

    According to him: "Siguro po sa heroes po nila, wala pa rin po nagbago."

    Initially I was thinking about expressing my thoughts regarding KarlTzy's statement but then I realized...perhaps it was too early to jot down my opinion.

    And like most people on social media, I was like: "Maybe Blacklist might bounce back and reveal something new in the upcoming weeks."

    In the end, Blacklist ended up finishing 3rd in the overall standings, accumulating 24 points, but looking at what happened in the regular season, can the Codebreakers go all the way to the finals and battle their way to the MSC?

    Here are some concerns I have.

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    Is Blacklist International becoming predictable?

    This is often the argument that I normally see on social media, where fans argue that Blacklist is too stale because teams have already assessed Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna's hero pool and Danerie James "Wise" Del Rosario's utility junglers.

    Do I agree with these sentiments? Here's what I noticed.

    Season 10 was the last time Blacklist unveiled something surprisingly new and this was their jungle Valentina and Fredrinn picks from Wise.

    Afterwards they showcased their jungle Kaja pick in the M4 World Championship, then in Season 11, comes the jungle Alice pick.

    While these are signs that Blacklist still has that creative edge in them, it can also be argued that teams have already expected this. Wise has been known to ultimately flex heroes, and teams may have clues on what he'll unveil next by looking at his livestreams.

    And we also have to take into consideration OhmyV33nus' hero pool, which was something that Kristoffer "BON CHAN" Ricaplaza emphasized during his interview with Tryke Gutierrez.

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    According to BON CHAN, given V33nus' hero pool, Wise can no longer use assassin-based heroes.

    "Kase ganito yan e. Kung ang mga main hero ni V33 mga Rafa, Estes, Mathilda, and then partneran mo ng assassin. Imagine mo yung assassin, lundag dito, lundag doon, e di nainis si V33. 'Huwag ka munang umalis, hi-heal muna kita!' E di nabwiset," revealed BON CHAN in Turning Point.

    He added: "Samantalang kung ang gagamitin natin mga marksman, mga fighter, oh right, magkatabi lang, pwede mong ma-heal, pwede mong ma-buff."

    With no assassins in their arsenal and with only sustain heroes, where can Blacklist regain their prowess? Maybe Salic "Hadji" Imam and Kiel "Oheb" Soriano's return is the answer, which some fans pointed out.

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    Would Hadji and Oheb's return make an impact?

    So far, the rookies for Blacklist has shown glimpses of prowess as both Lee Howard "Owl" Gonzales and Jon Redick "Super Red" Bordeos have both been solid gold laners, while Kenneth "Yue" Tadeo has been a revelation given that he is a frontrunner for the rookie of the season award.

    And while they've shown their potential in their wins, their losses on the other hand would force fans to chant that Hadji and Oheb are definitely the go to performers given their experience.

    Would I consider Hadji and Oheb to be the answer?

    In terms of dynamic and experience with OhMyV33nus, yes, but in terms of solving the bigger problem which is the hero pools of Blacklist, in my opinion, no!

    Coach BON CHAN did reveal on his latest vlog as to why the switching strat between V33nus and Hadji is no longer viable, due to the patch changes, which in turn limited the Codebreakers.

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    Then if we go back in the M4 and assess how they play in S11, it's the same gameplan, whether it's Hadji or Yue or Super Red/Owl or Oheb, it's still the same approach.

    Sustained heroes, utility junglers, Edward creating havoc on other lanes, gold laner needs to be protected, midlaner zones out threats.

    While it can be argued that some teams have their own respective identities, it should also be noted that the top teams in Season 11 have a level of variety in terms of playstyle.

    Just look at ECHO PH who are renowned for conducting backdoor plays, using utility junglers, and an aggressive midlaner.

    But in case they need to shift gears, the Orcas can wield other options from Alston "Sanji" Pabico's Gloo, Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera's sustain heroes, and Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno's assassins.

    The same can be said with Bren Esports who are known for playing around Kyle "KyleTzy" Sayson's assassin heroes, but they can also ask him to transition to utilities when needed.

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    Even teams renowned for switching personnel like RSG and Omega have varied options in terms of playstyle, though it can be argued that these teams have notable flaws.

    But the bottomline is, most of these teams have fluid options in terms of playstyle, which is something that Blacklist might struggle to deal with in the upcoming playoffs.

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    Does Blacklist International have something new to offer?

    By looking at BON CHAN's recent vlog, he did hint about the following:

    • OhMyV33nus has another tank hero besides Lolita
    • Back in M4, Blacklist already had pocket picks that they've yet to unleash (Hadji - assassin, Oheb - with no marksman)

    Will Blacklist unveil these secret strategies in the playoffs? It's actually easier said than done due to the following factors.

    First we need to assess if Yue and Owl/Super Red can play the heroes that Hadji and Oheb were suppose to deploy in the M4 finals.

    Now it can be argued that Yue should start playing Grocks and Natalia's, but remember what BON CHAN said in his vlog.

    The reason why Hadji can no longer switch with V33nus by using Chous and Martises is because mage gold laners were already taken out of the equation, in favor of marksmen.

    If Yue starts using Grocks or Natalias while Red/Owl plays marksmen, wouldn't this limit Blacklist's magical damage? A plethora of anti-physical damage items would end the Codebreakers.

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    Then you also have to consider the viability of these heroes on the players. Are they capable of playing them with the added pressure of the playoff spectacle?

    BON CHAN did reiterate the importance of composure, which somewhat affected their decision to showcase V33nus' secondary tank hero.

    And this likewise explained why Blacklist couldn't experiment with other heroes in the M4 finale after a string of demoralizing defeats against ECHO PH.

    Based on what BON CHAN said, this concerns me. Can Blacklist pull a rabbit out of a hat? If yes, will they show them at the early stages of the playoffs and risk being exposed towards the end, or will they save them for the endgame, which might limit their options on the early stages.

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    If all else fails...

    Now in case Blacklist fails to reach the MSC, comes what could be a very long offseason for the Codebreakers, something that they've never experienced since Season 6.

    From Season 7, the MSC 2021, Season 8, MPL: Invational, M3, Season 9, SEA Games...and the rest, Blacklist has been constantly grinding, which may have taken a toll on the team.

    The long rest could be the perfect opportunity for the Codebreakers to assess on what went wrong and make some tweaks on their gameplan.

    Given what was discussed earlier, I feel like Blacklist should start exploring other methods besides playing around OhMyV33nus' hero pool.

    The first thing that comes to my mind is using Renejay "RENEJAY" Barcarse as a roamer, which in turn could allow Danerie James "Wise" Del Rosario or even Ian Jakob "Rindo" Seguiran to try using assassin heroes.

    The aggression from the former Nexplay superstar could be the perfect setup play for the latter two to engage.

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    While this could allow Blacklist to offer more flexibility, it might sacrifice their strategic prowess as OhMyV33nus might be forced to stay on the bench...that is unless RENEJAY can play magic damage support heroes, but this goes back to the main problem of Blacklist becoming predictable, as Blacklist has been known for support-mage setups.

    Or maybe Blacklist can bring another roamer with a more qualified role in shotcalling and leadership, something that Allen Jedric "Baloyskie" Baloy is renowned for.

    Overall, there's a lot for Blacklist to consider for the playoffs as well as the offseason and while their recent losses have been a worrying trend for the Codebreakers, one should be aware of their ability to calm the storm when the going gets tough.

    For Blacklist to go to the finals despite being nerfed, speaks a lot on their ingenuity, though this is something that they shouldn't overly rely on.

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    PHOTO: MPL Philippines
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