Twisted Minds secured their second consecutive victory by defeating AP.Bren, 2-1, in Week 1 of the MPL Philippines Season 16 on Sunday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati City.
With the win, Twisted Minds claimed the top spot in the league standings with a 2-0 record, while AP.Bren fell to fourth with a 1-1 mark.
Coach Kristoffer “BON CHAN” Ricaplaza’s strategy proved key in the decider, as he opted for an unconventional Hylos pick to counter AP.Bren’s Lucas.
“Never namin ginagamit nung Hylos eh. Nagkataon kasi na ang kailangan nila (AP.Bren) ay physical damage,” explained the multi-titled coach. “Kaya pinagtatanggal ko na yung mga physical damage like Hayabusa and Fanny.
“Parang ang nakita ko ngang maganda choice na lang sa kanila is Leomord eh pero napunta sila sa Lucas na na-nerf. And si Hylos old school na counter na siya kay Lucas.”
Despite the early-season success, BON CHAN cautioned his young squad against complacency.
“Siguro gawin naming consistent yung performance and make sure na paangat dapat or paimprove dapat yung mga susunod pang performance natin,” he added.
In Game 1, Twisted Minds turned a closely contested start into a dominant showing after Michael “MP the King” Endino (Hayabusa) scored two kills during an eighth-minute scramble. That led to a 3-for-0 counterattack against AP.Bren’s ambush.
The 20-year-old jungler maintained his strong performance throughout the match, finishing with a 7-1-8 KDA and helping Twisted Minds dominate the kill count, 17-5, in the 14-minute opener.
Game 2 saw Jan “Shizou” Valdez (Harith) shine for AP.Bren, racking up 11 kills and six assists to secure a 13-minute equalizer for his team.
In the deciding Game 3, Miguel “Sionn” Alcantara (Kagura) stepped up for Twisted Minds, delivering a clutch performance that helped his team withstand AP.Bren’s onslaught and clinch the series.
He totaled eight kills and eight assists in the rubber match as Twisted Minds wrapped up a dominant series in under 12 minutes.
Twisted Minds will aim for a third straight win when they face Smart Omega on Saturday, August 30.
