AP Bren winning formula: consistency, teamwork, and winning picks
AP Bren’s teamwork and perseverance paid off as they rose to the top and took the MPL Philippines Season 12 trophy in the Grand Finals last October 29, 2023.
Dominating the match series against Blacklist International with a score of 4:1, AP Bren has once again showcased their on-point decision making led by newly inducted Hall of Legends awardee Coach Francis “Ducky” Glindro and Vendron “Vren” Pesebre. The winning roster consisting of team captain Angelo Kyle “Pheww” Arcangel, Marco Stephen “SUPER MARCO” Requitiano, David Charles “FlapTzy” Canon, Angelo “KyleTzy” Sayson, and Rowgien “Owgwen” Unigo proved their unmatched team chemistry.
The first game began with FlapTzy’s perfect zoning to win the objectives, after which SUPER MARCO took the reins, achieving a Mega Kill. Maintaining their consistency and specific bans to trap Blacklist jungler Sensui’s jungle picks, AP Bren took game two with FlapTzy staying on point with the objectives, pushing the Agents to commit mistakes.
Meanwhile, game three belonged to Blacklist International with Oheb’s mastery of Ixia. The Filipino sniper took advantage of the flaw they saw in AP Bren’s use of their very own Ultimate Bonding Experience (UBE) strategy.
AP Bren, however, immediately bounced back in game four with a Martis and Arlott combination from FlapTzy and KyleTzy, despite the early gold lead for the Agents and Edward’s attempts to push the Hive back.
Game 5 solidified AP Bren as the strongest of them all. AP Bren made sure that Sensui’s choice of jungle heroes was once again limited, targeting him specifically in their bans.
The entire roster shone to fulfill their respective roles and objectives to create harmonious team clashes as the Martis and Arlott combo were once again in play, with Pheww and Owgwen’s crowd control with Faramis and Ruby, and Super Marco’s Irithel’s damage and range.
According to KyleTzy, FlapTzy believed in him enough to adjust to the situations and for the team. “Ang naging mindset ko, kung gusto niyo mag-champion, kung gusto niyo manalo mag-adjust kayo as a team kasi hindi naman kayo isa lang eh, lima kayo.” (My mindset is that if you want to be the champions, if you want to win, then adjust as a team because you’re not alone, there are five of you in the game).
“Yung focus kasi ng preparation namin ngayon mas focus sa sarili namin kaysa sa kalaban eh. Ang nangyayari noon nag-ooverthink kami sa ginagawa ng kalaban, nakakalimutan namin yung identity namin,” added Pheww. (Our preparations this time focused on ourselves instead of the opponent. What happened before was that we would overthink what our opponent would do and we’d forget our own identity).
To his surprise, FlapTzy took home the Finals MVP title, adding that it was Pheww’s leadership that led him to play the way he did.
A consistent run
AP Bren was fresh from winning IESF 2023 when they were whisked back home to start the season. With the roster led by Coaches Ducky and Vren, and their main five, AP Bren stayed consistent throughout the regular season as they ended second behind ECHO.
The upper bracket advantage allowed AP Bren to start the playoffs during the second day as they faced off with RSG. They eliminated the latter team with a 3-2 victory.
AP Bren then faced Blacklist International in the Upper Bracket Finals. The match would then become a prelude to what was to come as AP Bren dominated against the Agents in a 3-0 sweep.
Road to M5
Both returning world champions, AP Bren and Blacklist International, will now face off against the entire world in M5, where the international stage will be set in the Philippines.
“Marami kami masyadong pinagdaanan to feel that level of kaba, so I think, sanay na kami. Not just for me, but for the team,” Coach Ducky proudly says. (We’ve been through so much to feel that level of nervousness. I think we’re used to it.)
Previously, Blacklist took the M3 championship with current players Oheb, Edward, and Hadji in the roster.
The M5 World Championships begins their Wild Card Stage in Malysia from December 23-26, 2023. The Group Stage follows from December 2-17, 2023, in Manila. AP Bren will be in Group C, while Blacklist is placed in Group B. Other participating countries include Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Turkey, Myanmar, Laos, Mongolia, the United States, Latin America, China and the EECA Region.
MPL Philippines is powered by Smart Communications Inc. as its official telco partner. Smart enables Filipinos to enjoy the best mobile gaming experience powered by the Philippines’ Fastest and Best Mobile Network, as recognized by Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence.
Know more about how Smart empowers subscribers to level up their gameplay and start your esports journey by visiting http://gigaarena.smart.
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