IS MALAYSIA really catching up in the Mobile Legends esports scene, breaking the trend that is usually associated between Indonesia and the Philippines?
It seems that is the case with the Selangor Red Giants (SRG) proving their firepower during MSC 2024, stomping the M5 World Champions, Falcons AP.Bren.
"I would say na sumasabay na siya sa Indonesia and Philippines. I think they deserve to have that recognition that they're a threat in the world stage as well" (I would say that Malaysia has already catched up to Indonesia and the Philippines and I think they deserve to have that recognition that they're a threat in the world stage as well), acknowledged RRQ Kaito head coach Paulo "Pauloxpert" Munsayac after their loss to Team Malaysia.
None of this would have happened had SRG not acquired the services of Filipinos namely Mark "Kramm" Rusiana and John Vincent "Innocent" Banal, and head coach Michael Angelo "Arcadia" Bocado. There were even reports that Kramm mentored Ilman "Gojes" Zulkifli for the IESF 2024 campaign.
"With the help from Kramm, Innocent, and Coach Arcadia as well, and kahit yung tatlong Malaysian players sa mid nila, they're very-very good." (With the help from Kramm, Innocent, and Coach Arcadia, combined with the three Malaysian players at their disposal, they're very good.) reflected Munsayac.
What makes Selangor a massive threat?
One of the key reasons as to why the Red Giants are a force to be reckoned with stem from their teamfight oriented playstyle, which was something that Coach Pauloxpert highlighted in an interview with the press.
"They go in as a team. Kapag nagte-teamfight sila, talagang committed as a team sila, yun yung na-notice ko sa grand finale. Kaya noong nag-pick sila ng Faramis, gusto nilang i-sustain ang teamfight para tumagal yung teamfight kasi doon talaga sila malakas e, sa teamfight." (They go in as a team. When it comes to teamfights, they're totally committed to it. That's what I noticed during the finale. Like for example, when they picked Faramis, their goal is to prolong teamfights because that's their biggest strength, teamfighting)
And because of the ruthless aggression displayed, Sibol's momentum was left in disarray.
"Kami malakas kami sa macro, sa pag-take ng objectives sana. So doon yung ti-nake advantage nila, gusto nilang teamfight lang nang teamfight para hindi kami mag-reset at para maguluhan kami sa mapa." (Our biggest strength stems from our macro play, from taking objectives. So they capitalized on that by constantly teamfighting, which hampered our ability to reset.) explained the Sibol head coach.
Given Coach Pauloxpert's discovery, teams may have learned the official gameplan of the Red Giants. But is that really the case? It seems the Malaysian squad has more tricks under their sleeve.
"Natalo namin sila sa group stages pero we knew that they were gonna adjust their draft. Kasi siyempre grand finals and natalo namin sila sa group stages. So it made sense that they were gonna change something in their draft, in which they did. So kudos to coach Arcadia for doing a very good job in drafting."
(We defeated them in the group stages, but we know that they're going to adjust their draft because it's the grand finals and we defeated them in the groups. So it made sense that they were gonna change something in their draft, in which they did. So kudos to coach Arcadia for doing a very good job in drafting) revealed the RRQ Kaito head coach.
Sekys the limit
There's no denying that given SRG's team-oriented playstyle, each member needs to be placed under the microscope, whether it is Muhammad "Yums" Suhairi's setups or Hazziq "Stormie" Rizwan's midlane masterclass.
However there is one major obstacle that Bren had to endure during the MSC 2024 finale, Muhammad Haqqullah "Sekys" Ahmad Shahrul Zaman. There's a reason why he bagged the MVP award during that tournament.
And the same level of intensity was showcased during the IESF tournament, but this time around there was something new in his arsenal.
"Before kasi si Sekys puro assassin, ngayon puro utility na. Yun yung medyo nagbago na sa kanila," (Before Sekys is an assassin main. Nowadays, he plays utility junglers. That's what really changed.) explained Coach Pauloxpert.
Sekys' flexibility makes him a worthy foe in terms of jungling, but to begin with his individual prowess has already rattled a lot of rivals.
"Sinasabi ko sa kanila (Sibol) na mas lamang siya (Sekys) sa akin sa mechanics e," started Kyle "KyleTzy" Sayson. "Noong time na nakalaban namin sila sa group stage, puro assassin kami. So noong nag-finals na, nag-adjust sila na mag-switch na sa utility kasi doon mas madali yung buhay nila kaysa sa assassin.
(I told my teammates (Sibol) that Sekys has the edge over me in terms of mechanics. During our group stage encounter, we exchanged assassin picks. In the grand finale, they made the switch to go for a utility jungler which made things easier compared to an assassin jungler.) said Kyle "KyleTzy" Sayson.
Tips for Aurora and Fnatic ONIC PH
Given SRG's ascent from obscurity to championship glory, a lot will be at stake for the upcoming M6 World Championship. So far, the Philippines is still viewed to be one of the most powerful regions in the scene but it seems the scales are slowly tipping towards this new era of MLBB.
Both PH reps, Aurora and Fnatic Onic PH need to be wary of the following factors when they'll face SRG.
"Based on our experience noong nakalaban namin ang team Malaysia (SRG version), ang pinaka-importante is yung river control. River control is number one." (Based on our experience against Team Malaysia, river control is extremely important) emphasized Coach Pauloxpert.
He added: "Pangalawa is picking your fights wisely. Hindi mo sila pwedeng sabayin sa teamfight kasi yun yung forte nila e. Gusto nila teamfight nang teamfight e." (Second is to pick your fights wisely. It's not advisable to match their teamfight prowess because that's their biggest strength. They love to keep on clashing)
"So knowing na malakas sa macro ang Filipino region like Aurora and Fnatic Onic PH, pumili sila ng team fights wisely and then just use their macro. Just be patient." (Knowing that the Philippine teams like Aurora and Fnatic ONIC PH are macro-heavy, it's advisable to pick teamfights wisely and use their macro. Just be patient)
Patience also means considering the finer details which was something that was brought up by RRQ Kaito roamer Denniel "xNova" Gomez.
"Mas focusan nila yung turtle fight. Kasi kung mama-macro nila sa turtle fight yun, doon lang malulugi yung Malaysia." (They should focus on the turtle fight, because if they could macro their way, they can gain the upper hand over Malaysia)
While these words of advice will surely help the Philippines, the country needs to be wary of SRG's ability to adjust as seen from Sekys' hero pool and Coach Arcadia's ingenuity.
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