NoiaJr's Journey in the Magic Prison Tournament on Ragnarok Mobile SEA (Week 1st)
Week 1 Report :
Week one was a bit of a whirlwind for our team, but we managed to start on a high note by clinching victories against two other casual teams. It felt great to see our hard work pay off right from the get-go. Our lineup is a mix of familiar faces and practiced roles: Thor and Nic Jormund leading the charge as our main damage dealers, Maocetung Rath adding versatility and support as our roamer, and Attica Hela and Arisa Saint holding down the fort with their defensive prowess.
Starting off with two wins in the first two games is always a great feeling, but upon closer inspection, I noticed a slight imbalance between my DPS and Nic's DPS. As the main DPS, Nic and I should ideally be sharing the kills, with the numbers balanced between us. It's normal to have a few double-digit kills, but it becomes concerning when one side is dominating in kills while the other isn't performing as well. Achieving a more even distribution of kills would help ensure a fairer and more effective gameplay experience for everyone on the team.
The real test began when personal errands forced Attica to leave early, leaving us with the task of completing the remaining 10 games for week one. Since there were no penalties for losing in week one, it was crucial to finish all the matches. This meant queuing up faster to accommodate Attica's schedule.
However, we encountered another challenge: running into some formidable opponents, including legendary teams, during our matches. Despite our efforts, we ended up losing to these teams due to differences in character strengths and team coordination. Additionally, we faced two winnable games where our team's imbalance became apparent, resulting in losses.
This experience highlighted areas for improvement as we moved forward. We needed to address issues such as team balance and coordination to ensure better performance in future matches. Despite the setbacks, it's all part of the learning process, and we're determined to make the necessary adjustments for a stronger showing in the upcoming weeks.
During the games, we found ourselves making lineup switches midway through. Nic switched from Jorm to his Doram, and Attica changed from Hela to an Elf. Ideally, such switches shouldn't happen as they indicate uncertainty about our team's capabilities, which isn't ideal. It's a sign that we need to address this issue promptly for the second week.
We realized the importance of having a solid lineup prepared to face any opponents. Doubt crept in as we faced losses, but it's crucial to maintain confidence in our abilities. While it's understandable to doubt ourselves when losing, it's essential to have a strong mentality to overcome challenges.
One thing to note is that we didn't lose against fellow casual players or those ranked in the top 300. Our defeats came against teams ranked between 50 to 100, who likely have their strategies and lineups well-established. Nevertheless, these losses still affected our mentality.
Mental strength is crucial in such situations. Losing against teams who have perfected their strategies and are top-ranked leaves little room for adjustment. However, if we lose against lower-ranked or similarly-ranked teams, it signals issues within our own team that need addressing.
Moving forward, we're focused on fixing these issues and strengthening our mentality. It's about learning from losses and using them as opportunities for growth, ensuring we're better prepared for the challenges ahead in the upcoming weeks.
It sounds like week one was a valuable learning experience for us, and we're committed to making improvements for week two. We've identified areas that need fixing and will work hard to ensure a better outcome this time around. Here's hoping things will turn in our favor this week. That's all for now. Ciao!
The Aftermath and Preparation for Week 2
In all my MP experience, I've never encountered a 5-5 score before. Even during my worst performances, I usually managed to secure a 7-3 or 8-2. So, seeing a 5-5 score really caught me off guard. It feels like a major red flag, indicating that there are some significant weaknesses on our side. Sure, luck is always a factor, but this situation feels like a serious wake-up call. We need to identify all the issues and come up with solutions quickly.
Week 2 is going to be even more challenging. By then, players will have a better understanding of the meta and will be looking to exploit any weaknesses they can find. It’s crucial that we address these problems immediately to avoid falling further behind. We need to analyze what went wrong, develop some strategies to fix it, and implement those solutions as soon as possible. This way, we can be better prepared for the battles ahead.
Our problems began with our current lineup. Due to ID limitations, I can only play Thor as the main DPS. I was hoping Nic would also be a main DPS, playing Jorm, while Ichwan and Attica would handle SB and Hela, respectively. Henlee would take on the role of Rath Utility, and Arisa would play as Saint. Recently, I learned a hard lesson about the ancient dragon Garliatan card and its powerful effects.
Initially, I thought there were only two key cards for shoes: the Moonlight Star card for movement speed and the Eddga Star card for permanent endurance. I never considered the possibility of a third card being extremely overpowered in specific conditions. The Garliatan card can transform a character from demihuman to dragon race (not visually, but in terms of damage calculation) if the character is under a debuff or abnormal status. This revelation answered a question I’ve had for the past 2-3 months about why some characters suddenly became much tankier and more damaging.
Yes, it turns out that changing a character's race from demihuman affects the damage dealt and received. Switching to a non-demihuman race nullifies the damage bonuses and defenses specifically built up against demihumans. This knowledge explains why certain characters have become unexpectedly resilient and powerful. Now that we understand this, we need to reconsider our strategy and card choices to better counter these dynamics and adjust our tactics accordingly. But this only the start of it, the rest problem still follow.
This changes a lot for us. After making adjustments from week one, like switching our league skill from Ball Tackler to Elemental Barrier, we need to balance our equipment as well. Given the decreased effectiveness of elemental and holy attacks, our defensive team needs to make significant adjustments. They have to change their defensive equipment from elemental-based to medium size.
Why medium size? Because there hasn't been a change in character size; all players are still considered medium status monsters. The downside is that this only works against physical damage. For magical damage, we'll have to rely on magical damage reduction and still incorporate some elemental damage resistance to counter enemy magical DPS, which will likely include facing Jorm’s job class most of the time.
This means our defensive strategy needs to be more versatile. While we adjust to counter physical threats with medium-sized defenses, we must also be prepared to handle magical threats with appropriate reductions and resistances. Balancing these elements will be crucial for our success in the upcoming weeks.
We also have a significant problem with crowd control (CC) skills this season. Previously, countering CC from enemies was straightforward: stacking resistance on your armor, using double or triple stat Mora, and combining it with the King of Chaos skill from the league skill set effectively solved the problem. However, with recent updates and new builds, countering specific CCs has become much more challenging.
Currently, we're struggling to counter even basic effects like freeze and stun. Additionally, we now have to deal with stone effects from Jorm, and root/snare effects from Rath and Beggetter, which, like freeze and stun, require very high resistance to counter. This doesn't even include unblockable hard CCs from jobs like Thor, Fenrir, CM, and Elf.
While this new meta promotes diversity and offers various build options, it also makes it incredibly challenging to prepare a character capable of handling all these threats. The complexity of countering different types of CC means we need to develop more nuanced strategies and possibly reconsider our gear and skill choices to stay competitive. Balancing these new requirements is critical for maintaining our edge in the game.
We need to improve our ball holder's defenses. This could involve tweaking their gear, enhancing their resistances, and maybe even rethinking their position or role during critical moments. Ensuring they can withstand both magical and physical damage is essential for our overall strategy.
Moreover, the gameplay itself requires a high level of self-sufficiency. Players must be adept at managing their own buffs, such as Bless, AGI, Kyrie, Speeding Up, and Lord Aura. These buffs are no longer just helpful; they are crucial for survival and effectiveness in the game. Mastering the Ymir switch to maximize a character's potential has become a vital skill. This switch allows players to adapt quickly to different situations, leveraging all the abilities their characters have.
This also means we need to minimize the reliance on quick skill shortcuts and focus on optimizing our gameplay. Players must learn to juggle multiple tasks efficiently, maintaining their buffs while engaging in combat or strategic maneuvers. This level of multitasking requires practice and dedication.
Furthermore, the current meta has introduced a variety of builds and strategies, which, while adding diversity, also complicates our preparation. It’s no longer about having a one-size-fits-all approach; we must be ready to counter a wide range of tactics. This includes dealing with various forms of crowd control, as discussed earlier, and adapting to different enemy strategies.
Addressing these issues requires serious attention and commitment from all team members. We need to invest time in training, experimenting with different setups.
The Scrim That Almost Kill Our Spirit
I've known Rendra for quite some time now. We go back to around 2-3 seasons of 12-12. Back then, he was primarily known for his support role. One of his standout performances was when he played as a CM support during my Thanatos era. During our time together for one season in 12-12, we even managed to defeat Stancer's team in the Big 8 competition, if I recall correctly. Our interactions both in-game and outside of it have allowed us to develop a mutual respect for each other.
Rendra isn't just a good player; he's also a natural leader. He's the type of person you can rely on when things start to go south. Our shared experiences in battles and challenges have strengthened our bond, and I've come to appreciate his skills both on and off the virtual battlefield. He's proven time and again that he's not only skilled but also dependable, making him a valuable asset to any team.
During this first week, we faced similar challenges that led to our team being pushed out of the top 600 positions. To address this setback, I proposed the idea of organizing a scrimmage match between our team and Rendra's team. While Rendra's team is operating at a much higher level, likely ranking within the top 100-200, I believe that practicing against such formidable opponents will greatly benefit us.
Participating in a scrimmage against a team of Rendra's caliber will expose us to new strategies, tactics, and gameplay mechanics that we may not have encountered before. This experience will be invaluable as we prepare for the challenges awaiting us in week 2. While I acknowledge that we may face defeat in this scrimmage, I see it as an opportunity for growth and learning.
Personally, I view this scrimmage as a fun and engaging way to test our skills, learn from our mistakes, and improve as a team. It's not just about winning or losing but about the journey of self-improvement and the camaraderie that comes with facing challenges together. I'm excited about the prospect of facing off against Rendra's team and am eager to see how we fare against such formidable opponents.
I was genuinely excited and pumped up for the fight. I even reached out to Stancer for advice on how to enhance Thor's damage output, aiming to make him hit harder than ever before. Additionally, I didn't hold back in pushing Nic to elevate his performance with Jorm (apologies, Nic!), recognizing the importance of having a reliable substitute in case I faced frequent disables during the battle.
Furthermore, I took the time to meticulously prepare Arisa and Henlee, focusing on improving their gameplay and overall in-game performance. With everyone primed and ready, we assembled our best Week 1 lineup: Thor and Jorm as our primary DPS, Rath and SB in utility roles, and Saint and Hela as our main orb holders.
Our opponents boasted a formidable lineup, with Jorm Fenrir leading the charge as their primary DPS, supported by SB and PD in utility roles, and Saint and Hela as their main orb holders. Despite the challenge ahead, we were determined to give it our all and put our preparations to the test on the battlefield.
Facing Rendra's team was no easy task, especially with their key player, Triciaganda, leading the charge as Jorm. Triciaganda's reputation preceded him, boasting one of the highest flee Jorm builds I've encountered, making him nearly untouchable in PvP arenas. Accompanying him was Formana, known for his meticulous and detailed builds, as well as his versatility in mastering multiple job classes simultaneously.
Puchi2 added to the team's strength as a formidable Saint support. While her gameplay might be described as barbarian-style, her ID acted as the tank of tanks, making her incredibly difficult to kill and adept at pulling her teammates out of danger when needed. Freya, playing as PD, was notorious for his relentless pursuit of opponents, sticking to them closely and stripping them down to vulnerability, leaving them open to exploitation by his teammates.
Rendra himself took on the role of support SB, a surprising shift from his usual DPS account. His adaptability made him a formidable opponent, capable of switching between roles seamlessly. Lastly, Donchou rounded out the team, known for his incredible tankiness and resilience, making him a formidable opponent to face head-on.
With such a formidable lineup stacked against us, I knew we were in for a tough fight. Each member of Rendra's team brought their own unique strengths and playstyles to the table, posing a significant challenge that we would need to overcome with strategy, teamwork, and skill.
Experiencing such a crushing defeat was undoubtedly a blow to our morale. We anticipated a tough battle, but we never expected to be beaten so decisively, as if we were mere beginners on the field. The loss hit us hard, not just mentally but emotionally as well, shaking our confidence as a team to its core.
In the aftermath of the defeat, it was natural for different reactions to surface among us. Some of us may have started blaming ourselves, questioning our abilities and feeling unable to give more effort. Others might have pointed fingers at their teammates, searching for someone to shoulder the blame. There were likely feelings of desperation and anger, both directed inwardly and outwardly, as we struggled to come to terms with the loss.
Such reactions are part of being human, especially in the face of adversity. However, it's essential to remember the wisdom of Sun Tzu: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles." In this instance, it seems we may have focused too much on understanding the strengths of our opponents and not enough on recognizing our own strengths or misjudging them altogether.
This miscalculation proved to be costly, but it also serves as a valuable lesson for us moving forward. We must strive to maintain a balanced perspective, acknowledging both the strengths and weaknesses of ourselves and our opponents. Only then can we truly learn from our defeats, grow stronger as a team, and face future challenges with renewed determination and resilience.
Taking a break from the world of ROM for 2-3 days was exactly what we needed after such a heavy defeat. During this time of rest and reflection, we were able to step back and gain some much-needed perspective on our situation.
With clear minds and renewed determination, we began to consider the changes that were necessary for our Week 2 fight. The detox from ROM allowed us to identify the key issues that contributed to our struggles in Week 1 and enabled us to apply quick solutions to address them effectively.
These changes were crucial for our team's success moving forward. By taking the time to analyze our performance and implement necessary adjustments, we hoped to rectify our weaknesses and emerge stronger and more prepared for the challenges that awaited us in Week 2.
While the defeat in Week 1 was undoubtedly a setback, it also served as a valuable learning experience. With our newfound clarity and determination, we were ready to tackle the upcoming battles with renewed vigor and confidence, confident that we had the tools and strategies in place to achieve better results.
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