WITH THE Mobile Legends Professional League Season 7 playoffs looming, discussion is doubtless swirling inside bootcamps about heroes, players, and teams. Since each match is a best-of-five affair, excluding the grand finals, teams competing are expected to come up with a heap of strategies.
Who knows, maybe their preparations will surprise us. Remember Allen “Greed” Baloy’s Natalia in Season 5 against Onic PH in the grand final?
But it’s not just the players and teams that are devoting their time in the study of the meta and their opponents. The league’s shoutcasters and analysts have also done their homework. As the playoffs get ready to kick off, we asked them about their thoughts on the upcoming playoffs. Here are their predictions.
Most Impactful Hero:
Butters - Barats
Manjean - Chou
Midnight - Barats
Nomad - Support Heroes
Reptar - Barats
Rob Luna - Ling
TDZ - Jawhead
Uomi - Benedetta
Given his 75% win rate, it’s no surprise that Barats tops the charts for most of the MPL-PH shoutcasters. The Dino Rider’s ability to zone out potential threats and his sustainability is a threatening prospect — and this was clearly evident in the last day of the regular season. Jawhead and other support heroes like Diggie and Selena have been priority bans, a testament to their impact in the regular season.
Though Barats is a popular pick among the casters, there’s a lot of respect for Chou and Benedetta. The former has been a staple in the MPL scene given his insane crowd control abilities, while the latter is proving to be a rising force in the scene. Rivaling Benedetta is Ling, who could potentially be a game changer in teamfights, courtesy of his last minute entrances.
Most Contested Hero:
Butters - Benedetta, Mathilda, and Jawhead
Manjean - Lunox, Kagura, and Chou
Midnight - Ling
Nomad - Ling
Reptar - Roaming tank and Support Heroes
Rob Luna - Benedetta
TDZ - Alice
Uomi - Ling
In the current meta, where assassins remain prominent because of their high damage outburst and their ability to surprise the opposition, there were only two that really stood out: Ling and Benedetta. The latter is, clearly, more preferred, given that she was picked 83 times in the regular season — 32 picks above Ling.
However, a deep dive into the regular season stats would also reveal that the bigger threat lies with roaming and support heroes, as seen with Jawhead, Diggie, Selena, and Mathilda’s whopping ban rates. Besides roaming heroes, mages may also be a crucial factor in teamfights, specifically heroes like Lunox, Kagura, and Alice, due to their versatility and survivability.
Hero That Will Make a Surprise:
Butters - Saber or Phoveus
Manjean - Phoveus
Midnight - Hanzo or Saber
Nomad - Phoveus or Gloo
Reptar - Belerick
Rob Luna - Phoveus
TDZ - Aurora
Uomi - Hayabusa or Gloo
After weeks of speculation, Phoveus can finally make his grand appearance for the upcoming playoffs. Since he has never seen action during the regular season, teams are expected to capitalize on his abilities and generate a new set of strategies.
But even some of the old heroes could make their mark. If Ling and Benedetta aren’t available, teams could still look for other alternatives in Hayabusa and Hanzo. Not only are they lethal in terms of finishing their foes, they could also be used to clear waves.
Hayabusa and Hanzo can also lay on the jungle pressure, together with Belerick, Gloo, Aurora, and Saber. Both Belerick and Gloo were only chosen 10 times, while Saber and Aurora have yet to make their appearance. Given that there are teams who might deploy a fighter mid strategy, choosing Saber as a jungler could change the course of the playoffs, while Aurora’s recent buffs could be a clutch factor in teamfights.
Player With a Lot to Prove:
Butters - Edward
Manjean - Wise or Kielvj
Midnight - Kielvj
Nomad - Wise
Reptar - “Not a player, but a team.” Execration
Rob Luna - OhMyV33nus and Wise, a.k.a., V33Wise
TDZ - Kielvj
Uomi - Chuuu
Let’s break down their major picks.
The dynamic duo known as V33Wise has suffered a lot of playoff heartbreaks in the past, and they are determined to finally break their drought with their new team, Blacklist International. Together with their teammate, Edward “Edward” Jay Dapadap, who suffered a lot of early playoff exits in his career, they are driven to finally end Blacklist’s misfortune.
After suffering a 3-0 sweep against their longtime rivals Onic PH, Aura PH made a bold move in discarding one of their star players, Kiel VJ “Kielvj” Hernandez. During the bootcamp raid, where Manjean and Rob Luna interviewed each of the teams competing in season 7, Kielvj had some strong words for his former team: “Sobrang motivated ko sa kanila dahil gusto kong patunayan kung sinong sinayang ninyo!”
Even his fellow teammates from Execration also have a point to prove, given their trophyless journey since Season 1.
Both Execration and Blacklist International are considered to be veterans in the scene, but the newcomers Work Auster Force are driven to overthrow the old guard. It all boils down to how Shemaiah Daniel “Chuuu” Chu will perform in big moments.
Playoff MVP:
Butters - FlapTzy, Bennyqt, or Oheb
Manjean - Edward or Kairi
Midnight - Bennyqt if Aura wins, OhMyV33nus and FlapTzy as honorable mentions
Nomad - KarlTzy
Reptar - Undecided
Rob Luna - Depending on who wins. Either Flaptzy, KurTzy, Bennyqt, Edward, Chuuu, H2wo, Kairi, or Ch4knu
TDZ - Bennyqt
Uomi - OhMyV33nus
OhMyV33nus’s high KDA marks would make him a consistent performer this season, but his overall heroics wouldn’t be enough without his teammates, Kiel Calvin “Oheb” Soriano and Edward. All three of them have been crucial in helping Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario dominate his matchups.
However, they aren’t the only space makers that deserve plaudits, as Bren’s David Charles Luching “FlapTzy” Canon has also made his mark. His efforts have given Karl Gabriel “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno the room to dictate the tempo of every teamfight.
Though KarlTzy is considered to be the biggest name in the scene, there are others who will do everything to take over his mantle as the most explosive player. Kairi Ygnacio “Kairi” Rayosdelsol, Frederic Benedict “Bennyqt” Gonzales, and John Paul “H2wo” Salonga are considered to be his noteworthy rivals.
Dark Horse of the Tournament:
Butters - Nexplay
Manjean - Work Auster Force
Midnight - Work Auster Force
Nomad - Work Auster Force
Reptar - Nexplay or Work Auster Force
Rob Luna - Nexplay
TDZ - Blacklist International
Uomi - Nexplay
Both Nexplay and Work Auster Force have a knack for deploying unorthodox methods in their game plan, and teams have been wary of facing them. Nexplay may be considered a fan favorite given the influence of their head coach Setsuna “Akosi Dogie” Ignacio and H2wo’s cheesy MiWo movement. But Work Auster Force will definitely show that they aren’t fazed by their diehard fanbase.
These two teams will face each other in the lower bracket playoff rounds, and given their methodologies and their unwillingness to bow down in the early stages, expect these two up-and-coming teams to offer a spectacle.
Grand Champion:
Butters - Torn between Aura PH, Blacklist International, and Bren Esports
Manjean - Torn between Aura PH, Blacklist International, and Bren Esports
Midnight - Aura PH
Nomad - Blacklist International
Reptar - Torn between Aura PH, Blacklist International, and Bren Esports
Rob Luna - Undecided
TDZ - Aura PH
Uomi - Blacklist International
Both Aura PH and Blacklist International have topped the regular season standings, making them the possible forerunners for the championship. However, they shouldn’t underestimate the defending champions, Bren Esports, who could suddenly execute crucial plays for a back-to-back victory.
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