RSG takes MPL PH Season 9 title with dominant playoff run

RSG Philippines emerged on top of lengthy strategic plays against Omega Esports to give Coach Panda his second Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines title via a dominant 4-1 Season 9 grand finals conquest on Sunday.

The season's top-seed suffered their first match loss in the playoffs but quickly regrouped and employed numerous positional mind games to continuously confuse the comeback kings en route to the championship.

The tactical plays were in full display in Games 3-5 where RSG repeatedly used nifty positional initiations to disrupt Omega and pull ahead in the resulting scrambles.

In Game 1, RSG chose to shut down Renz "Renzio" Cadua's Dyrroth (0-2-1 3rd minute KDA) in the early game to help Nathaniel "Nathzz" Estrologo (Esmeralda) snowball quickly.

With Nathzz effectively soaking up the damage, RSG won the succeeding team fights and established a 5k gold lead on a 9-3 kill tally.

Not even a lord steal by Omega in the 9th minute could stop RSG's rampage as Arvie "Aqua" Antonio (Xavier) once again displayed superb positional prowess with pinpoint executions of the Dawning Light, none more pivotal in a 17th minute lord fight that resulted in a 5-1 wipeout for the opening win, 1-0.

Coming into Game 2, Omega chose to steal away Nathzz' signature Esmeralda while securing Duane "Kelra" Pillas' Beatrix in the draft that proved effective as the the latter easily farmed with commanding control in the gold lane.

Contrary to their usual gameplay, Omega played a very calculated game, marked by only 2 kills but with superior map control and objective taking for the equalizer, 1-1.

In Game 3, RSG played a very cerebral game using a conceal play on the bottom lane to break Omega's formation and secure the 16th minute lord.

With Omega's positioning crumbling, RSG easily scored a 5-0 wipeout in the ensuing play to go up 2-1.

RSG continued to engage Omega in a chess match in Game 4 with strategic baiting all over the map leading to a pivotal 2-0 wipe in the 10th minute for the lord.

The Panda-mentored squad maintained composure and used a 16th minute 3-1 initiation to secure the 17th minute lord and reach match point, 3-1.

With Omega flaunting a surprising Karrie-Estes-Karina draft in Game 5, RSG shrugged off the surprise match-ups and stuck to their tried and tested positional plays that they used in a crucial 21th minute baiting game where Dylan "Light" Caitipon's (Khufra) conceal play led to a pick off on picked off Patrick "E2MAX" Caidic to secure the lord off a 2-1 exchange.

Light once again delivered a decisive Tyrant's Revenge set-up in the 23rd minute to take down Renzio (Phoveus) that gave them the championship.

—JMB, GMA News