BLACKLIST INTERNATIONAL has had a roller coaster ride this Season 13. What seemed to be a shaky start, which seem to echo their collapse back in Season 9, turned out to produce a miracle that could carry on into the playoffs.
Finally after weeks of tinkering their lineups and questioning their playstyle, Blacklist International has found their identity. Their victories leading to their playoff spot are filled with monumental wins as seen with how they grinded their way against ECHO, Onic, and RSG Philippines.
These victories that they've attained would make us wonder, is Blacklist the lason of Season 13?
Hadji has finally stepped up
Looking back at Blacklist's resurgence, one name should be highlighted: Salic "Hadji" Imam.
Back in Season 9 when Johnmar "OhMyV33nus" Villaluna stepped down, Hadji together with seasoned vets in Dexter "Dex Star" Alaba and Mark "ESON" Gerardo couldn't follow into her footsteps.
As seasons went by, Blacklist acquired Renejay "Renejay" Barcarse who proved to be an important asset for the team as they can now diversify their gameplan instead of sticking to their usual 'Ultimate Bonding Experience' strategy. He likewise provides the leadership that the Codebreakers need after OhMyV33nus announced her rest.
But when it was announced that Renejay will be taking a step back and when the Codebreakers unveiled their Season 13 roster, it was clearly evident that Hadji needed to step up, especially since he is a support player and a seasoned veteran.
Initially, things were looking shaky as Blacklist had to toggle things between him and Kim "Kimpoy" Cruz.
Until Hadji emerged with a different mindset, leading a new identity for the Code.
It seems the old days of Hadji's flashy play have re-emerged, reminiscent of those Season 8 days, and even those early years when he was still jungling.
And so the aggressive version of Blacklist emerges. It was indeed a breath of fresh air to see Hadji reawaken the previous version of himself, but there is more to that.
Hadji who was once described to be timid, has now embraced his role as a leader, displaying a degree of maturity that would inspire his team.
A more aggressive code
With Hadji leading the charge, Blacklist has a more aggressive approach in the Land of Dawn and this has actually benefitted the team especially when looking at the complimentary pieces.
First off is Kenneth "Yue" Tadeo who is known to be an aggressive midlane player, someone that mirrors the likes of Alston "Sanji" Pabico and Gilang "SANZ." The combo he has with Hadji is night and day as Blacklist would command most fights due to their impact.
And eventually the other pieces started to run amok.
Edward who was initially struggling this season, found his groove as the seasons progressed. As usual, his split pushing antics and his sudden entrances in teamfights have caused a major dilemma to the opposition.
Then there's Kiel "Oheb" Soriano who has proven to shine this season, leading the scene in terms of kills with over 124.
His improvements, which have been evident since Season 13 has took the league to storm to the point where even Duane "Kelra" Pillas was left amazed by his progress.
As Kelra said in one post-match press conference: "Kung ikukumpara ko from last season, parang nag-improve yung positioning niya tsaka yung laning niya. Nakakapalag na kasi siya e. Noong mga nakaraang season kasi, hindi masyadong dikit, parang iwan sa lane.
"Pero ngayon, match na kami kaya maganda yung laban namin kanina."
Will Blacklist end up looking predictable though?
While the signs are pointing upward for the Codebreakers especially with these monumental wins, this might also allow be a curse for the team.
Since Blacklist's biggest strength stem from their aggression, chances are teams are already aware of their win conditions.
The added prep time before the playoffs could also give teams more time to learn about their tactics, though this could also allow Blacklist to brew something new out of nowhere.
But there are other concerns that Blacklist will have to contend with. According to the playoff bracket, if Blacklist wins over Minana EVOS, they'll immediately battle Onic PH at the same day, a test of their mental fortitude.
Onic will definitely capitalize on the prolonged rest to study Blacklist especially if the clash between the Codebreakers and the Hukbo will last for five games.
Are Blacklist's wins overvalued?
Looking back at those wins against the likes of RSG, ECHO, and Onic, it can be argued that those teams were already playoff bound, not to mention there was a new patch update that took place in between.
On the other hand, Blacklist was in a desperate situation where they can lose their playoff slot if they fail to turn things around.
Does this mean that the top four teams were busy studying and testing the patch during the regular season, while Blacklist was only thinking about winning?
It's unfair to judge Blacklist's wins just on this concept alone as the Codebreakers have also been studying and integrating the patch changes. The fact that they were able to rack up victories means that they were able to adjust well to the patch.
In addition, the new gauntlet system encourages teams to aim for that top spot as this would give the top seeded team more time to assess their foes.
CONCLUSION
There are a lot of factors to consider when looking at Blacklist's status as a dark horse title contender for Season 13 and there's no denying the level of prowess that they can display when the playoff season begins.
The Codebreakers need to be careful as their opponents have weeks to fully master the new patch, and unleash a new set of heroes or strategies to overwhelm their foes, and this also means more time for them to assess on Blacklist's weaknesses.
Season 13 will surely be a test for Blacklist if they can really live up to the dark horse status especially when looking at the archives. History has proven that MPL playoff dark horses have one common factor: SURPRISE!
Back in Season 9, no one expected that a battered Omega Esports squad would go all the way to the finale especially when their first opponent was an ECHO squad that simply demolished them during the regular season.
Season 10 saw a young Bren Esports squad stun Omega Esports and give Blacklist International a run for their money.
Season 11 saw RSG unveil their hidden trumpcard: John "Irrad" Tuazon.
Does Blacklist still have a lot of tricks under their sleeves? We have yet to see this version of Blacklist compete against AP.Bren so there could be a plethora of surprises that await.
Unless Minana EVOS ends up with a jack-in-a-box gameplan and evolve into a surprise contender.
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