AP.Bren opens up M5 festivities with takedown on new-look rivals Burmese Ghouls

Photo from Moonton

by Drew Malihan

QUEZON CITY - Tournament favorites AP.Bren starts the M5 World Championship main stage in a resounding fashion as they trample Burmese Ghouls, two games to none, Saturday inside the EVM Convention Center.

It was a rematch of the M2 Grand Finals almost three years ago, but only APBR's captain Angelo "Pheww" Arcangel and David Charles "FlapTzy" Canon remained from that day, with the Myanmar side boasting a new lineup after the old guard left in 2021.

AP.Bren started strong in the first game of the series, as gold laner Htet Linn Hlyan "Stitch" Aung's Brody did not have the best of days with Marco "Super Marco" Requitiano dealing five kills and seven assists with the Claude without falling once.

However, it was captain Pheww who stepped up in the plate as the veteran's Novaria dealt three kills and assisted six, with his Astral Echoes dealing significant problems to the BG midlane.

The Ghouls, lacking significant midlane damage by pulling off an Angela-Ruby mid combo, paid the price as they only secured four kills in a 13-minute affair.

It was a different story in the second game as the Ghouls prioritized on their early game agression with Hein Arkar "Niko" Htet getting the Martis while Stitch sticks with the Brody pick, with added healing from Kaung Min "Lina" Khant's Faramis.

AP.Bren then grabbed the Guinevere, this time in Rowgien "Owgwen" Unigo's hands to be the designated roamer, while Kyle "KyleTzy" Sayson sticks with the Nolan from the first game.

The Myanmar champs opened the second game in their control, winning the early game fights with Niko leading the charge, and even getting two of a possible three turtles.

However, AP.Bren waited for their timings and grabbed four of five lords of the 26-minute game to take the lead away from their opponents, and at one time leading by almost 7,000 gold in the economy game.

With the late-game insurance Stitch getting his kills, BG crawled back and even stole the lord but the Bees made them pay in the extended teamfight, getting Niko, Stitch, and Thiha "Carbon" Kyaw.

With only Lina's Faramis and Kyaw "Blinkx" Thuya's Kaja remaining to defend, AP.Bren's superior damage and numbers game prevailed, with KyleTzy's Nolan getting the MVP nod with six kills and five assists, contrbuting to 83 percent of all AP.Bren kills.

The Bees will see Mark "Hadess" Lazaro and Team Flash in their second game on December 6, while the Ghouls will meet the same team tomorrow to salvage their group stage run.


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