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Blacklist International's assistant coach, Aniel “Master the Basics” (MTB) Jiandani, holds deep admiration for how much Wise has sacrificed for the team’s success. In a YouTube series titled “Turning Point,” hosted by Blacklist International’s co-owner Tryke Gutierrez, MTB explains that teams should focus on building their own meta instead of copying other teams.
He also discussed how Blacklist International’s jungler Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario had a huge impact on the team’s success, aside from the team captain Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna. The coach also stated that he is impressed with how Wise plays “boring” heroes that can benefit the team more rather than simply picking highly mechanical and flashy heroes to show off his skills.
Blacklist International is the meta, says MTB
As Tryke and MTB discussed how a meta is formed in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) esports scene, MTB revealed that a meta should be crafted by pro players themselves. He added that a player who can’t craft his own meta or strategy can’t be considered a pro player.
“If you’re in the pro scene, your mindset should be to not copy other players or team’s playstyles. You should make your own,” stated the assistant coach.
He added that Blacklist International already had a well-established meta even before he joined the team as the assistant coach. This is why he believes that Blacklist International is the meta.
Wise can pull off playstyles that other pro players struggle to execute
Wise is considered to be one of the best junglers in the MLBB esports scene. Pro players such as BloodThirstyKings’ (BTK) team captain, Michael "MobaZane" Cosgun, also consider Wise’s jungle playstyle as the best in the current meta.
This was also backed by MTB as he explains how big of an impact Wise holds in making Blacklist International’s strategies so effective despite the constant shift in meta and balance changes that MLBB has received through the years.
“He’s not your typical core player that plays assassin because it looks cool. Wise has sacrificed a lot for the team if you ask me. The heroes he uses are so boring.” stated MTB. He added that it is more important for Wise to win championships rather than stealing the spotlight.
Tryke echoed that this individual brilliance from Wise is part of Blacklist International’s teamwork. The pro player is setting aside his personal gain if it ensures the team can perform better.
“Being able to sacrifice your individual glory for the glory of the whole team is very important,” stated Tryke.
OhMyV33nus never fails to surprise the team
Switching their attention to the support specialist of Blacklist International, OhMyV33nus, MTB explains that the pro player is exceptional and no one can replicate his playstyle. He also added that the pro player somehow never runs out of brilliant ideas.
“Mostly they copy V33nus’ Estes but they can never copy V33nus,” stated MTB. “Even we who have seen the bigger picture, he always seems to see things we couldn’t before.”
OhMyV33nus’ mastery of support heroes paved the way for Blacklist International to develop its iconic Ultimate Bonding Experience (UBE) strategy. While some MLBB teams managed to outsmart the team a few times, no one has ever managed to particularly hard counter this strategy yet.
While fans may not be seeing the two star players in the upcoming MPL PH Season 9, Blacklist International has signed a solid lineup with its new member Xavier “KEVIER” Lopez. The pro player specializes in assassin heroes but is also quite flexible enough to fill in different roles for the team. According to Bon Chan, the team aims to present a brand new strategy and a whole new identity in the upcoming MPL PH Season 9.
