AP.Bren Coach Ducky Believes It Takes Time and Patience to Build a Team

Two renowned coaches from the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) scene offered insights into the meta of Filipino (PH) and Indonesian (ID) teams. Francis "Ducky" Glindro is a veteran coach of AP.Bren, the two-time world champion, and Paul "Yeb" Miranda is the guiding force behind the ONIC Esports squad. Despite their shared Filipino heritage, both coaches bring diverse experiences, having coached in both regions. This unique perspective allowed them to offer nuanced comparisons regarding the strengths and weaknesses prevalent in each scene. They delved into the distinctive playstyles of each region and pinpointed potential pitfalls hindering Indonesian teams from reaching their full potential.

There is no such thing as instant success - Duckey and Yeb

Through a podcast hosted by Mobile Legends Professional League (MPL) caster Caisam "Wolf" Nopueto, Coach Yeb and Duckey shared their thoughts on what Indonesian teams could do to improve their performance in MLBB esports.

Coach Ducky pointed out that Indonesian teams don’t give their talents enough time to build chemistry.

“I think the thing about Indonesians is that they cycle their players too fast. [If] they don’t achieve a certain level of success, they immediately remove (that player) without even thinking of building the chemistry along the way,” he explained.

Using his team, AP.Bren, as an example, Ducky shared how he invested in the team to eventually build chemistry despite the rough performance in previous MPL PH seasons. 

“There are just so many teams at the moment that want instant success,” he expressed,

Explaining further, Ducky shared how “These stalwarts like V33nus and Wise… they rarely happen, and those are prodigies.”

Coach Yeb echoed the statement, saying AP.Bren is “a good example of the process, a team you built and believed in.” 

He further elaborated that while ONIC Esports may have the upper hand when it comes to mechanical skills, AP.Bren knows how to utilize its players in certain situations and matchups to turn the tables.

“We don’t need to be the best at every aspect of the game, we just have to know our win conditions and how to beat you (enemy teams),” responded Coach Ducky.

The host of the podcast, Wolf, responded to the discussion, saying that “the fact that they (Indonesian teams) lacked coaches, that also means they’re lacking in development.”

MLBB personalities such as Wold and Blacklist International’s Jonmar "OhMyV33NUS" Villaluna believed that having Filipino import players can offer benefits, but the true essence lies in securing an experienced coach.

“What Indonesian orgs and even other regions here, especially ones that acquire players and coaches from the Philippines, need to think about it in the long run. You can’t always have instant success,” explained Wolf.