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    Mobile Legends matchup: Kairi vs. MobaZane

    Who you got?
    Dec 17, 2021
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    WHEN Kairi “Kairi” Rayosdelsol insulted his North American counterpart Michael “MobaZane” Cosgun, Cosgun responded with a huge smile on his face, as if the harsh words from Kairi felt like a compliment.

    Now, the beef between these two superstar junglers can finally reach an epic conclusion as they will finally meet in the M3 World Championship.

    Both have shown off their undeniable prowess, especially in the playoffs.

    But for them to make their mark in their much-awaited duel, there are three important factors that should be considered.

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    Versatility and adaptability

    Though both are known as aggressive junglers, their hero pools reveal a stark contrast.

    Kairi prefers assassin-based junglers like Lancelot, Ling, and, most recently, Aamon. Though he can play marksmen like Claude and Natan, his explosive impact is more felt when he uses assassins. But even when teams tried to ban his key heroes in MPL PH Season 8, he still manages to make a difference with other options.

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      On the other hand, MobaZane would rather go for marksmen like Roger, Yi Sun Shin, Natan, and Granger — though his recent matchup against EVOS SG revealed his pocket Barats pick, and his Saber was able to decimate Blacklist International’s ‘UBE’ strategy.

      Cosgun has also admitted that he isn’t yet comfortable with the mobile assassin Ling.

      Now given their hero preferences, both BTK and Onic PH might target their signature picks. Though both are capable of moving out of their comfort zone, it will be interesting to see if their respective teams will suffer when they are forced to move away from their comfort picks.

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      Other than their hero pool, being able to recover and adapt is going to be another important factor to consider in their upcoming matchup.

      But both have already proven themselves in that department. Kairi became a late game threat after a slow start against RRQ, and MobaZane was able to respond from the aggressive Hylos assault given to them by Blacklist International.

      But none of these would have happened if it they didn't possess the next important factor.

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      Who has the better supporting cast?

      Kairi admitted in a press conference that his group stage performance wasn’t the best, as he was trying to get a grasp on his new phone.

      Luckily for him, his teammates picked up the pace.

      All eyes were definitely on Gerald “Dlarskie” Trinchera’s Uranus as he was an unstoppable force of nature, while Allen Jedric “Baloyskie” Baloy’s movements around the map and his setups from inside the bush proved an invaluable source for support for his team.

      In the playoffs, Kairi emerged to take centerstage — which still wouldn’t be possible without his supporting cast. Kairi wouldn’t be able to go supernova without the aid of Jaylord “Hatred” Gonzales in shutting down key threats, or of Mark Christian “Markyyyyy” Ectobanez with his long-distance barrage, which gave Kairi the confidence to jump into the action.

      Then you have Baloyskie with whatever shenanigans he brings with his Selena. Even his Natalia created space for Kairi to explode in the late game, amid the rough start.

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      But even MobaZane himself wouldn’t be able to reach this level without his teammates.

      For instance, his Granger, which was suffocated against Blacklist International in Game 4, was able to bounce back all thanks to the discipline from SHARK’s Lolita and ZIA’s Yve on the 10th minute.

      Then you have Victor’s Esmeralda who became a surprise package alongside FwydChickn and they could likewise repeat their Blacklist heroics, though they will definitely feel the intimidation factor brought by Onic’s devastating sidelane duo of Markyyyyy and Dlarskie.

      And this factor will definitely be highlighted since these two have varying tactical gameplans, with Onic’s preference for organized chaos with their split pushing antics, compared to BTK’s obsession with teamfights.

      MobaZane’s shotcalling

      But among all of the factors, this one might be placed under further introspection, especially now that the stakes are higher.

      MobaZane currently has a huge burden to carry because not only is he the team’s primary superstar as he is also the strategic mind and shotcaller behind the scenes, giving MobaZane a plethora of responsibilities in carrying his team.

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      Yet even amid the intense workload he brings, Cosgun was able to prove that he cherishes with whatever challenge that is directly thrown at him with his tactical insights.

      Just look at how he allowed Blacklist to use their signature heroes, knowing that he could systematically dissect them with a strong counterpick as well as capitalizing on the positional flaws of the Codebreakers. Heck he even saw some loopholes in their lineup, which led to his Lolita and Yve picks.

      Which speaks a lot about his shotcalling as he has the audacity and the confidence to allow his opponents to get their signature heroes, which other teams would never do. And it’s possible that Zane will allow Onic to select Ling, knowing that he has a potential trick under his sleeve to nerf the Cyan Finch.

      While Zane will be busy commanding his teammates, Kairi doesn’t shoulder the same role as his teammate Baloyskie does majority of the dirty work, allowing the 16-year old phenom to focus on his gameplay.

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      Now with the factors indicated above, who do you think will prevail in this mano-y-mano affair.

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