Dean “Raizen” Sumagui fulfilled his offseason promise as he led Onic to a dominant rubber match, securing a 2-1 reverse sweep against his former team, Smart Omega, in Week 3 of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 12 at the Shooting Gallery Studios in Makati City on Sunday.
Onic coach Abraham “Bam” Unida admitted that his team was caught off guard by Omega’s lineup heading into Game 1, which featured Kelra in the jungler role.
“Nung Game 2, nilabanan lang namin yung draft namin. Kumbaga alam ng Omega pano gamitin yung mga “cheese strats” eh, yung mga utility junglers, heal, regen, or shield. So minaximize namin sa pagbaban ng mga utilities sa kanila,” he said on their approach after succumbing in Game 1.
Omega delivered surprises in the opener, outdrafting Onic by picking Harith and utilizing healing heroes like Rafaela and Minotaur.
Kelra, known for his superb Harith performance in the gold lane, went on a rampage and finished with a 4-0-4 KDA while spearheading Omega to a 9-0 shutout of Onic in the kill score during the 11-minute win.
Game 2 came down to a 15th-minute Lord fight, during which Raizen (Lancelot) secured the Luminous Lord and initiated a pick-off that enabled Onic to score the equalizer a minute later.
In Game 3, Kelra returned to the gold lane, but it didn’t matter as Onic imposed their will in the early game, with Frince “Super Frince” Ramirez (Valentina) already posting a 3-0-2 KDA late in the 2nd minute.
Onic then flirted with disaster after allowing Kelra (Wanwan) to score a double kill during a 16th-minute Lord fight. Still, Mark “Kramm” Rusiana (Paquito) executed a brilliant segue push in the middle lane during a messy 21st-minute skirmish to secure Onic’s victory.
Onic claimed the second spot in the standings, improving to 13 points with a 4-3 record, while Omega (3-4) concluded the first half of the season in sixth place with nine points.
