THE BATTLE between the two MPL runner ups ended up as a rout as Indonesia's completely overwhelmed the talented Filipino squad of Onic PH.
Both games felt like a clinic as RRQ responded to Onic's signature aggression and split pushing antics with a solid counterattacking gameplan. The outcome came as a surprise as Onic boasted in their previous post-match interview that they had performed well in their scrimmages against their Indonesian counterparts.
Their loss placed them out of the tournament, and only two Filipino squads remain in Blacklist International and RSG PH.
Vynnn the Breaker stars in MPLI results: RRQ vs Onic
In Game 1, Onic PH drafted an extremely mobile and aggressive lineup featuring Allen Jedric "Baloyskie" Baloy's Mathilda and Ian "Beemo" Sergio's Jawhead and RRQ struggled to contain their rotations.
However, Calvin "Vynnn" delivered an exceptional performance with his Ruby as contained their movements through the crowd control prowess of his hero.
From the 5th minute, the battlefield felt his impact when RRQ got three massive kills on Gerald "Dlarskie" Trinchera, Baloyskie, and Mark Christian "Markyyyyy" Ectobanez, allowing RRQ's late game lineup to snowball in the early stages of the game.
However, this didn't automatically mean that RRQ would dominate the entire match. Onic were able to recover by securing the Lord at the 10th minute. But the comeback skid to a halt in a 12th minute defense, where RRQ proved that their late game damage outburst from their Clint and Yi Sun Shin combo could easily obliterate the Filipino representatives.
And he wasn't quite done yet, as Vynnn's Ruby likewise proved to be a thorn in Game 2 as he aggressively picked off key players from Onic's lineup, giving RRQ the momentum to engage.
The element of surprise works in Onic's favor... for a time
If the Mathilda and Jawhead surprise factor didn't work in Game 1 for Onic PH, they had an alternative in Game 2 with their Luo Yi. Onic were able to gain a foothold in the match, especially in the 5th minute with a surprise Diversion play.
This could have been a game changer, but RRQ were able to respond. First was Vynnn's annoying Ruby (as discussed earlier), but they also had other options in Rivaldi "R7" Fatah's Esmeralda. His shields absorbed majority of Onic's damage and it likewise helped that his teammate, Teguh Imam "Psychoo" Firdaus' Yve, provided the additional firepower.
And in moments where Onic tried to retreat, Vynnn caught them off-guard with his sudden Ruby pulls that synergized well with Albert "Alberttt" Neilsen Iskandar's burst damage.
How RRQ struggled in Game 1
In the post-match interview, the Esmeralda King, R7, expressed how he felt after eliminating the Filipino powerhouse.
"We felt happy, because we beat them 2-0," said RRQ's EXP laner. "In the first game we struggled because we made bad decisions that's why we felt that the match was hard."
He said that the team's execution became the catalyst for their Game 2 win.
RRQ will face the Malaysian champions, Team SMG in the next round.