Cover-Credits:
Over much of the last year, Talon Esports has consistently been one of the top Southeast Asian (SEA) teams both at the regional and international levels. This positive result has been driven by many factors, but Talon's midlaner Rafli "Mikoto" Rahman has consistently stood his ground against the best in the world, assisting with a steady start in most games. Mikoto explained the reasons behind his growth in a winner's interview at DreamLeague Season 20, highlighting two team members' critical roles. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of watching replays to improve overall performance.
Mikoto acknowledges Jabz and SunBhie’s role in his growth as a midlaner
As well as appreciating the role played by captain Anucha "Jabz" Jirawong and coach Lee "SunBhie" Jeong-jae in his development, Mikoto stated he has gained greater confidence since last year in the post-match interview after defeating Team Spirit 2-0.
“Probably I think what is making a difference is when we are studying the same lineup. Jabz and SunBhie have given a lot of impact on us. They are teaching us a lot and are always sharing a lot of information that we can learn from. So I think I am just confident more compared to last year.”
Furthermore, the Indonesian midlaner described how watching replays and other players play certain matchups helps him gain a better understanding before playing.
“I always watch some other mid players. Also, in some matchup heroes which I don’t know, I still like watching a lot of replays. You can always get new ideas if you are watching them, you just get inspired.”
Overall, Mikoto recognized himself as a playmaking midlane player who looks forward to spending the majority of his time mastering a handful of heroes. “Not feeding and keep making moves. I think you just need to…you don’t need to play a lot of heroes. You just need to play the same hero as long as you can win with it,” he remarked when asked about his approach to the midlane.
Currently, Talon and Mikoto are playing in DreamLeague S20's group stage 2, where they are trying to qualify for the playoffs. The team, on the other hand, is locked at 1120 points as part of the Dota Pro Circuit (DPC) 2023 and is likely to qualify for The International 12 (TI12) despite not making it to the Bali Major 2023, where it would have had the opportunity to gain more points.
