Coach MTB Explained Hadji's Mid Lane Lapu-Lapu Pick Against ONIC PH

After a solid Week 1 performance in the MPL PH (Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League Philippines) Season 12 regular season, Blacklist International broke its win streak in the second week against ONIC PH. While the renowned Codebreakers lost against the Yellow Hedgehogs, the team did show a few interesting picks such as a Mid Lane Lapu-Lapu pick in the second game. Blacklist International’s coach Aniel "Master the Basics" Jiandani (also known as MTB) shared that the unorthodox pick was part of their experiments to look for new viable strategies to use before the playoffs stage.

Blacklist International is testing the waters with unorthodox picks in MPL PH Season 12 Regular Season

Blacklist International had its first 0-2 sweep loss against ONIC PH in the second week of the MPL PH Season 12 regular season. While the Codebreakers did their best, they were outmatched by the Yellow Hedgehogs in terms of objective and map control.

While it was a surprising upset match for Blacklist International, fans witnessed an interesting pick for the team’s Mid Laner Salic "Hadji" Imam who used Lapu-Lapu in the second game.

Through a post-match press conference, coach MTB revealed the reason for the said pick, claiming that it was all part of their experimentation process.

“We’ve practiced it for quite some time now and wanted to try it in MPL to see if it would work,” he said. 

He further explained that since it’s still in the early weeks of the MPL PH Season 12, the team is using this golden opportunity to test out different kinds of strategies.

“Because it’s still the regular season, we still have time to do some training,” said coach MTB.

The iconic coach has previously mentioned in the first week of the MPL PH Season 12 that the regular season shall be an experimental phase for Blacklist International. With a new lineup and the absence of its iconic duo Jonmar "OhMyV33NUS" Villaluna and Danerie "Wise" Rosario, the team is looking to build a new identity as they compete this season.

Blacklist International will have time to reflect on its Week 2 performance as the team is set to face TNC Pro Team next week on 23rd September at 5:00 PM (PHT). It will be interesting to see what more interesting strategies the Codebreakers introduce in the upcoming matches.