With one week to go in the regular season of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League - Philippines 2018, every win counts. The different teams proved this in Week 5.
While it was the end of the dream to make it to the playoffs for White Rascals Alliance after failing to add to their points against both ArkAngel Ownage and ArkAngel WickedMinds, it wasn't quite the end of the story for ninth team HappyFeet.
HappyFeet struggled throughout the weeks leaving them in ninth. However, the difference between HappyFeet and White Rascals Alliance the earlier entered the week with four points. Along with this, they looked prepared to add to these four points as they faced Cignal Ultra in Day 2.
The draft for the HappyFeet looked nothing out of the ordinary in both games but executed their compositions much more efficiently this week. They were able to do what not many teams have been able to, pressure Cignal Ultra enough for them to make mistakes. It was from these mistakes that HappyFeet capitalized and rode their momentum to get a Finesse Solid-esque upset on Cignal Ultra. The 2-nil win not only gave HappyFeet three more points to keep within arm's reach of ArkAngel WickedMinds, it also dropped Cignal Ultra to fourth from third.
The upset was prime for Aether Main to capitalize to claim sole possession of third place. Aether Main started the week with a 2-1 loss to second team, Execration. The series was a nail-biter but in the end, the momentum that Aether Main had gathered throughout the past weeks was halted by one of the fan favorites. They had a second chance to improve their standing in Day 2 against the hottest teams, Finesse Solid. Despite dropping the first game, Aether Main found their way into the series after denying Finesse Solid their comfort picks of Alice and Gusion and picked Grock, Harley, Leomord, and Kaja for themselves in Game 2 and 3.
The victory gave Aether Main an additional three points which was enough to squeeze them just below Execration and above Cignal Ultra.
The biggest victors of the week was the ArkAngel organization. Both ArkAngel Ownage and ArkAngel WickedMinds secured the maximum six points to improve their standings. Entering the week, ArkAngel Ownage was in seventh and their sister team, ArkAngel WickedMinds were in eighth.
Ownage owned White Rascals Alliance in Day 1 with Cktd being crowned MVP in both games with a total kill-death-assist (KDA) record of 22/2/14. They continued to show sharp play despite a tougher opponent in Day 2, SXC Imbalance. This time Cktd shared MVP with Lusty with the latter impressing on Chou in Game 2.
ArkAngel WickedMinds, on the other hand, opened their week against the struggling SXC.Imbalance. WickedMinds looked prepared against SXC.Imbalance as they took the series in two games. Exort_ garnered the MVP in both games on Leomord and Alice. The team then further cemented White Rascals Alliance in the bottom of the standing on Day 2. It was once again Exort_ that looked impressive in Day 2 and this time on his Harley. He ended the series unscathed with a total KDA of 18/0/12. Despite being lower in the standings, WickedMinds showed that they will do what they can to avoid elimination.
As the regular season draws to a close, it all falls down to the final week to settle which teams goes to the upper bracket, lower bracket, and which team will go home alongside White Rascals Alliance. HappyFeet is only three points away from ArkAngel WickedMinds and surely neither of the teams want to have their MPL season come to a close. The season has already shown some of the best games and best upsets, expect even more as teams play their final games.