A new trend has emerged in the Philippines Mobile Legends: Bang Bang pro scene, and it involves the rise of arguably one of the most misunderstood roles in the game – the support.
MPL PH Season 7 is still in its third week, but many have already witnessed the rise of utility support heroes such as Angela, Diggie, and Rafaela.
Some teams have started to prioritize them in the pick and ban phase. For example, Mathilda is usually picked if she is not banned, while Angela is considered to be a vital component in many team compositions right now.
So what’s with the rise of this trend?
Before utility supports was meta, many MPL regions utilized the Full Strike meta where teams opted for early game heroes with high mobility and high damage output.
We saw this meta in full swing during the early stages of the MPL Indonesia season. Jawhead, Silvanna, and Benedetta were key heroes in these team compositions.
- Execration’s Renzio lands a clutch Paquito triple kill in MPL PH Week 3
- A closer look at Omega Esports’ brilliant ‘Protect the Bruno’ strat
Things changed when patch 1.5.62 arrived. Angela and Mathilda were buffed, while some meta heroes who were used in the Full Strike meta, such as Yu Zhong and Brody, were nerfed to the ground.
The need for utility supports also increased with the latest patch 1.5.70 because of numerous gold adjustments. Death timers have been increased past 20 minutes, and there will now be bonus gold for enemies who have two kills instead of the previous four.
As such, playing safe a must now, unlike the Full Strike meta which focused on team fights and early game domination.
Supports are perfect for helping teammates stay alive in sticky situations, especially in the late game. One death, especially in the latter parts of the game, may lead to drastic outcomes.
One good example showing the strength of utility supports is when Omega Esports faced Cignal Ultra in the third week of MPL PH. Omega Esports went for an Estes-Diggie duo to protect Bruno, and went on to flawlessly win the game and the series.
Aura Philippines’ Jaypee also made use of Angela in their match against ONIC Philippines last Friday, helping the team seal the series and secure a 2-0 sweep against their rival.
The resurgence of utility supports in the meta means that we’ll get to see more calculated plays, and a lot more mind games at the expense of flashy and aggressive playstyles. How much more will pro teams adapt to the new patch?
READ MORE: Execration show off the best way to shutdown Roger
