AT THE GRAND FINALS of the MPL-PH Season 10, both Blacklist International and ECHO PH vied for the ultimate title.
But just like in their upper bracket finals faceoff, it was the Codebreakers who once again dismantled the Orcas, winning the series, 4-2.
The series was defined by the Royal Duo introducing unorthodox methodologies while dissecting their foes with their timely setups.
Wise with the surprise as Blacklist International dominates ECHO PH
Prior to the finale, Blacklist teased that they would unveil something new from Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario.
In their previous matchup, Wise flexed his jungle Guinevere and Fredrinn. And in Game 1 of the finals, Wise once again revealed his surprise.
His picks got more unorthodox when he introduced his Valentina. With him around the battlefield, Wise stole Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno’s Heavy Spin ability to zone out key threats.
This caused a lot of confusion from the Orcas' ranks, and things grew worse when Johnmar “OhmyV33nus” Villaluna was able to surprise her foes with her sudden Noumenon Blasts.
The Royal Duo was too much to handle, and when combined with the other members from the Codebreakers, ECHO PH was left stunned, ultimately paving the way for Blacklist’s Game 1 win.
While Games 2 and 3 saw Blacklist overwhelmed by Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera’s anti-sustain heroes, Game 4 saw the Codebreakers bounce back.
It was Edward “Edward” Jay Dapadap who took centerstage in Game 4 as his Benedetta was too much to handle. With his ability to clear the waves, push the lanes, and switch immediately to the battlefield, Edward was having the game of his life.
He even gave Sanford “SanFord” Vinuya a run for his money, as the young EXP laner couldn’t contain his impact.
Blacklist had so many options in Game 4 as the crowd control from Wise allowed Kiel “Oheb” Soriano to burst down his rivals with his Brody. Combine that with the Faramis, and Blacklist could survive every assault that ECHO unleashed.
With ECHO having a breeze in Game 4, Blacklist tied the series 2-2.
With momentum slowly returning to the Codebreakers, Blacklist went into Game 5 with a lot of swagger and confidence, embodied in a Royal Duo who carried on with their Lolita and Valentina jungle combo. Wise’s Valentina stole Alston “Sanji” Pabico’s Faramis ult which gave the Codebreakers more survivability.
There was nothing ECHO could do. Even bursting down Wise wasn’t the best solution, as V33nus would shield her teammates.
In the end, Blacklist secured the 3-2 advantage.
During the final game, Blacklist was able to solve the Valir conundrum that weakened them in Game 2. With V33nus using the Guardian's Bulwark skill, she was able to protect her teammates from the Valir barrage.
Edward "Edward" Jay Dapadap utilized hit-and-run antics, and Blacklist was able to force Yawi to pop his skills. This created numerous opportunities for Blacklist to engage and with their overall performance, Blacklist slayed the Orcas and secured the overall championship.