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Things can get intense in HoK, especially when it’s game seven of a grand finals.
It was a heartbreaking loss for BOOM’s coach Crow and his boys as they fell to Blacklist International after seven nail-biting grand finals games.
Going the distance in any high-pressure series will take its toll on anyone, but HoK is unique among other MOBAs. They use what’s called the Ultimate Battle to settle their best-of-seven series. Here, both teams have access to all the game’s heroes and have three minutes to make a blind draft. Both sides are unaware of what the other is picking, and this opens the possibility of mirrored picks.
The Ultimate Battle format is quite exciting as it’s the monkeywrench to an otherwise controlled and organized series. But it’s also a headache that every team needs to deal with, and it forces them to dig deep into what they know about the game and their opponents.
“Sa Ultimate Battle, aware kami sa mga possible comps [ng kalaban] kasi systematic siya,” said BOOM’s coach Crow. “Pwede nin namin gamitin yun but mas-confident kami sa mga comfort picks namin. Team decision yon so in agreement kami kahit anong possible angles gamitin nila.”
Coach Crow is aware that there are many philosophies to how one can approach the Ultimate Battle. However, he believes keeping his player comfortable and confident is the best way to handle a game seven situation.
“For us, rine-remind namin yung mga players na kaya natin to. Kita din ko yung mood nila na confident sila so no regrets.”
Reduce Mistakes, Maximize Opportunities
Despite being unable to defend their crown, BOOM Esports is still one of the teams we’re sending for the HoK International Championship later this year. They put up a close fight, which means that there’s quite a bit of polishing left for them to do if they want to make a good international showing.
“Iwo-work out pa namin yung mga hindi pa naming kaya na playstyle,” said BOOM’s coach Crow.
“Yung weaknesses namin – small mistakes na nagi-impact pa rin sa game. Kasi sa HoK, isa o dalawang small mistake may angle na maglamang yung kalaban especially kung magaling sila mag-maximise. Kumbaga sa kahit anong MOBA, as long as possible dapat hindi ka nagkakamali kasi nama-maximise yun. Parang chess lang talaga – isang error, dalawang error, tapos anything can happen.”
Banner photo from Level Infinite.