AP.Bren’s championship form was on full display once again, staving off Echo’s potential threat for a 2-1 victory during their anticipated clash.
Three weeks into Season 13, the M5 world champions keep a clean 6-0 record, highlighting a strong return to action for MPL-Philippines.
Day 1: Sweep Day for AP.Bren and RSG
RSG Philippines made a return to the winning column after making quick work of MInana Esports at the Shooting Gallery Studios in Makati City on Friday.
In the opening game, RSG’s Gold Laner Clarense "Kusey" Camilo flaunted Natan with a 7-1-4 KDA.
In game two, RSG refused to extend the series against the gritty Minana Esports. The Raiders wiped out Minana after taking Minana's Kzen out of the lord's contention. Then, RSG ignored the lord and headed straight to Minana’s base to take the sweep.
Nathanael "Nathzz" Estrologo’s Arlott got the MVP citation after showcasing fierce zoning capability in the EXP Lane with a 3-0-8 KDA.
Meanwhile, AP.Bren fended off Smart Omega from scoring their first win of the season via a sweep.
In game one, the Hive delivered a dominating performance against Barangay Omega, hitting over 12,900 in gold lead as they knocked with the lord to Smart Omega’s defenseless base.
Roamer Rowgien "Owgwen" Unigo made his presence felt with a 7-2-1 KDA on Masha after pestering Smart Omega’s position in crucial objective contentions.
Day 2: AP.Bren outshines Echo, RSG and Onic win on back-to-back sweeps
In game one, the TNC Pro Team’s lead slowly slipped out of their grip following a 5-man knockup from Arvie "Aqua" Antonio’s Valentina that copied Minotaur’s Minoan Fury.
Aqua’s Valentina showcased combat adaptability and delivered with a 3-1-8 KDA.
In game two, RSG took the lord while Nathzz’s Benedetta distracted TNC in the side lanes.
Exp Laner Nathzz clinched another MVP after delivering a lightning-speed performance on Benedetta with 1-1-4 KDA.
M5 Champions AP.Bren rose as victors in a titanic clash against M4 Champions Echo Philippines, carrying on with a perfect 6-0 mark.
In game one, The Orcas took the early lead after securing three turtle objectives.
However, the Hive turned the tables during the 16-minute lord dance as they capitalized on Echo’s mispositioning to take the first win.
Exp Laner David Charles “FlapTzy” Canon was the key to their victory, as his Cici claimed the MVP badge with a 3-2-9 KDA and 92% Kill Participation.
Meanwhile, the Orcas denied the M5 Champions of a sweep as they took a decisive lead in the second game.
In the second action, AP.Bren stole the lord to prolong the game and keep Echo off the bay. But all this was to no avail as Echo Philippines kept the aggression rolling.
Pheww’s Lou Yi teleported his squad in the middle lane, attempting to surprise Echo Philippines, but the Orcas were prepared and wiped them out following Alston "Sanji" Pabico’s Eternal Guard four-man set-up with Vexana.
Sanji’s brilliant Vexana with 3-1-10 KDA propelled Echo past AP.Bren, tying the series at one score each.
It was AP.Bren’s first game loss this season.
However, AP.Bren recovered quickly in game three after securing an uncontested lord. The Hive utilized the lord marching towards the Orcas to crumble their defenses one by one, and then used the chance to deliver the final blow.
Owgwen’s Arlott helped his squad seal the deal with a 5-0-11 KDA and 94% kill participation.
Day 3: Sweep day for Minana, Onic, and Echo
Minana Esports recovered from four consecutive losses after outplaying Smart Omega via sweep.
Rookie EXP Laner Jann Kirk “Kirk” Gutierrez led the charge, scoring a pair of MVP performances on Cici and Xborg with a 3-0-3 and 2-2-5 KDA, respectively.
On the other hand, Onic Philippines swept TNC and climbed to the third spot in the team standings with a 5-1 record.
Despite TNC extending the second game to the 25-minute mark, Onic outwitted TNC with a diversion play as King "K1NGKONG" Perez snuck in to the defenseless base.
K1NGKONG’s Nolan sealed the sweet victory and earned the MVP notation with a 4-2-3 KDA.
Next up were M4 Champions Echo and M3 Champions Blacklist International going head-to-head for another marquee showdown.
In game one, Blacklist International drafted a crowd-control-centric lineup with Ruby, Akai, and Arlott, but Echo came prepared and picked the flexible Valentina as an answer.
The Orcas delivered stellar performance, slimming the Codebreakers’ map control and denying them access to jungle resources.
Echo grabbed its first win against the Codebreakers after their skirmish in the 16-minute mark lord contention.
Gold Laner Jhonville "Outplayed" Villar’s Roger was in beast mode and was hailed as the MVP with a 7-0-2 KDA.
In game two, Echo outsmarted Blacklist’s positioning in an 18-minute lord dance, resulting in a three-man casualty. Justine "Zaida" Palma carried out an elusive gameplay on Joy with a 6-2-1 KDA.
The MPL-Philippines Season 13 Week 4 action resumes on April 12.