Mobile Tanks: The Pressure Zone
Why mobile tanks played such a big role in the MPL Regular Season
In most MOBA games, carry roles are the most sought-after picks for players because of how noticeable their impact is on a game (See their either feast or famine scores). The same can be said to some extent in Mobile Legends but in recent weeks, we’ve seen a lot of tank priority-picks when the team is second to pick their roles.
Usually, the pick and ban phase in pro games would follow this sequence: First pick team locks in a core assassin, second pick team then picks two core tanks. In theory, this should keep the power level of both teams fairly even since one team should have more offensive power and the other team should have the tankiness to withstand their attacks. But in reality, getting two combo-oriented tanks like Chou/Lolita and Akai turns the supposedly strong defense a very threatening offense because of the pick potential of these tanks. Compositions like Chou, Akai, and Harley/Saber/Jawhead were made to make the pick potential of a team even deadlier because not only could they keep their opponents locked down, they could also kill them.
AE Yellyhaze had some great plays on Chou but what really made his Chou exceptional was how he zoned out the enemy team from his carries before AE Main would clash with their enemies. Chou’s dashes allowed him to go in and out without much difficulty. This allowed AE Main to engage during opportune moments, which gave them an overwhelming advantage during team fights.
PG Tets should real mastery on Lolita by not only executing her mechanics perfectly, but also being by being able to read the movements of his team. Lolita allows a player to both become an offensive and defensive threat thanks to how her third skill: Noumenon Blast functions when used in conjunction with flicker. Flicker allows Lolita’s kit to be unpredictable. Lolita can also quickly change her playstyle to a defensive one in case the situation calls for it due to her multiple cc and protective shield. This makes Lolita a great hero to pick up because she has no real counters and is flexible enough to pick versus any enemy team.
Though, if we’re talking about flexibility, we think no one can trump the versatility of Jawhead. You can never really tell how a Jawhead will play until mid-game when he gets most of his items. OG Jeffqt4ever uses his jawhead to get picks on enemies who are out of position and toss them back to his team while doing significant damage to them. This mix of tankiness and solo playmaking potential allows Jawhead players to dictate the game, which could either be very effective or very detrimental for your team. Jawhead could also be built full tank to support mages like Cyclops who focus on taking out a significant threat like Fanny, Guison, Lancelot, and other mobile damage dealers.
Tanks have definitely made their presence felt during the regular season and we expect them to play even more vital roles in the finals due to some core assassins like Martis getting nerfed. Better get to practicing those beefy heroes!
