By: Jerod Orcullo
Only those who take the biggest risks reap the biggest rewards.
In a highly anticipated Week 4 showdown, Aurora and Team Liquid delivered a finals-worthy series that had fans on the edge of their seats, Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
With both squads exchanging wins in the first two games — and each team’s winning streak on the line — Aurora head coach Aniel “Master the Basics” Jiandani went all in, entrusting the Estes pick to Renejay “Renejay” Bacarse.
That gamble paid off massively for “The Northern Lights,” as Estes’ sustain allowed Aurora to withstand Team Liquid’s relentless engagements and keep the squad alive when it mattered most.
Master the Basics has built a reputation for experimenting with unconventional picks, a strategy that has often led to success. However, after early exits in both the M6 World Championship and the ESL Snapdragon Series, the coach had faced heavy criticism for his risky decisions.
This time, though, with another high-stakes move yielding results, Master the Basics welcomed the scrutiny. He emphasized that he’s unafraid to take risks, especially since it’s only the regular season.
“Siguro yun naman talaga yung risk. So, kung nag-fail yung Estes namin ngayon, of course babalik nanaman yung critics. Pero yun siguro yung willing akong i-risk, lalo na regular season. Hindi naman ganun kabigat kung natalo kami, pero ang importante kasi is at least na-try namin,” he explained.
“Kasi katulad niyan, nag-work. Ibig sabihin, pwede pa natin ulitin ulit. Siguro yun yung risk, yung tapang. Pero pinaka-importante, sobrang tiwala kasi ako sa players ko. Basta na-practice namin at alam namin na confident kaming gamitin yan sa stage, willing talaga ako i-risk lahat.”
(C) MPL PH
Despite Aurora’s strong showing so far, Master the Basics acknowledged that consistency remains an area of improvement. He assured that the team is working on it in practice.
“Para sa’kin, kulang pa eh. Yes, win streak is there, pero may kulang pa sa amin. Meron pa kaming kailangang ma-master para makuha namin yung consistency na hinahanap namin. So may kulang pa talaga, pero ang kinaganda, alam namin kung ano yung kulang na yun, kaya yun yung pina-practice namin,” he said.
While the standings might suggest otherwise, both teams and fans agree that the championship remains wide open. Every squad has significantly improved, adapting to the ever-changing META.
Master the Basics echoed this sentiment, praising the competitive nature of MLBB in the Philippines, where even the smallest mistake can turn the tide of a series.
“Yun yung kinaganda sa MPL PH — lahat ng teams nag-iimprove, lahat ng teams lumalakas. At pagka-nagpabaya ka kahit konti, kahit yung bottom team pa yan, kaya ka talagang matalo. Ganun kaganda yung competition dito sa MPL PH, pero siyempre, mahirap para sa’tin yun.”
With an upcoming match against Team Falcons and the second leg of the tournament still ahead, Master the Basics hinted that Aurora has yet to unleash its full arsenal — strategies they had prepared for the M6 World Championship and ESL Snapdragon Series but never had the chance to execute.
“Maliban sa throwback picks, hindi naman totally throwback yung ginawa namin. Alam lang namin kung paano i-pull off yung Estes. Siguro ang expect niyo is marami pa kaming ilalabas. Kasi yung mga baon namin ngayon, baon namin yun sa M6, baon namin sa ESL, na hindi talaga namin nailabas kasi maaga kami nalaglag. So dito namin ilalabas,” he revealed.
“Basta tingin namin pasok siya sa draft, at confident yung players ko na gamitin talaga yung lineup, ilalabas namin yun.”
