From an underrated dark horse runner-up position in the MPL PH Season 7 to become the winners of the Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup MSC 2021 Finals, Execration has come a long way. This team has beaten the odds stacked against them over and over again and has proven to the world that persistence, determination, and some luck will win a cup. Let us take a look at the journey of Execration through securing a spot in the MSC 2021, the group stages, the playoffs, and finally the grand finals.
MPL PH and Group Stage recap
Execration had one of the most balanced regular season records to date, netting just 6 wins and 7 losses in S7 with exactly 17 won games and 17 lost games. Being placed as 3rd seed in Group B, they moved into the playoffs, seating them in the already risky Lower Bracket. Nonetheless, they had managed to fight their way through the MPL PH playoffs by beating fellow powerhouses Onic PH, Omega, Bren, and Aura, before finally losing to Blacklist in a 3-4 match, thus securing the runner-up position and a spot to MSC 2021. In the MSC group stage, Exe easily dominated their games against EVOS SG and Nightmare Esports, giving the audience an early taste of the Philippines meta and their amazing team chemistry.
MSC Playoffs
In the playoffs, Exe secured an Upper Bracket spot with their 1st place seed from the Group Stage, and were pitted against 3rd placed EVOS Legends. Unfortunately, EVOS was too dominant early on and won the series 2-1, causing Exe to fall to the Lower Bracket. There, they fought their way back to beat Impunity KH 2-1, sweep RSG MY 2-0, and knock out the familiar team of EVOS Legends in a satisfactory 3-1 win. Then, it was onward to the Finals, where they to met a familiar foe.
MSC 2021 Grand Finals
At last, the final contenders were set, with a repeat of the MPL-PH S7 finals which had happened at the regional level. Blacklist were the favourites to win here, having already beaten Exe 4-3 in the MPL finals. Game 1 saw this expectation come through as Wise’s Brody was just too out of range for Kielvj’s Benedetta to touch, resulting in a 12-minute victory for Blacklist.
However, the next games did play out very differently. Game 2 saw Exe secure the Brody pick instead, supported by a 3-mage line-up of Mathilda, Eudora, Kagura and a tanky Paquito, which proved to be too much Burst and CC for Blacklist’s Yi Sun-Shin. Game 3 was again won by Exe with the Jungler Brody, not to be deterred by Wise’s Granger pick.
At this point, Blacklist was down 1-2 against Exe and had to change up their strategy. They adopted an amalgamation of Exe’s best picks, such as the Gloo Tank, Diggie, and Jungler Brody. Unfortunately, Ling was a perfect pick here by Exe to avoid any CCs from Blck, and the stuns from Rafaela, Brody, and Paquito were too overwhelming for Brody. Finally, Game 5 saw Blacklist go all out with their comfort picks with Eson going Franco, Wise going Granger, and OhMyV33nus going Popol & Kupa. Despite their best efforts, the combined synergy of slows from Chang’e Rafaela and Gloo, CC immunity from Diggie, and another Jungler Brody, Execration won against Blacklist International in a very commanding 4-1 fashion.
Final Thoughts
Despite the Exe win over Blacklist in the finals, there is no doubt that the Philippines had the last laugh this year. With the Bren win at M2 and now the Execration victory at MSC 2021, Filipino teams are just showing to the rest of the ML world how good they can be. No matter whether Execration or Blacklist won the MSC, both teams still represented the Philippines and this just goes to show how far they have come in the game.
This victory is not just a sign for professional players in other regions to step their game up and come back stronger for MSC 2022, but also for the amateur players, the small-league pros, and the everyday casual player to really embrace this game wholly, as it continues to evolve with the release of new heroes, items, and future adjustments.
What are your thoughts on Execration winning Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup MSC 2021 Finals? Let us know your opinions in the comments section below!
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