Hello, MPL fans! Are you guys enjoying all the Regular Season battles so far? Let’s have a look at the current meta and its changes as of week 4.
Top 5 Picks
| Hero | Pick % | Win % |
| Grock | 79.48717949 | 48.38709677 |
| X.Borg | 62.82051282 | 51.02040816 |
| Khufra | 60.25641026 | 42.55319149 |
| Chou | 55.12820513 | 60.46511628 |
| Terizla | 47.43589744 | 48.64864865 |
Top 5 Bans
| Hero | Ban % |
| Kimmy | 73.08 |
| Harith | 65.38 |
| Terizla | 51.28 |
| Kaja | 51.28 |
| Chou | 44.87 |
WR = Win rate, PR = Pick rate, BR = Ban rate
As mentioned, the meta hasn’t really changed much, with 4 out of 5 top picks remaining the same from Week 3, though their pick and winrates have shifted slightly.
If you’re wondering what the 5th top pick was, it’s Granger, now #8 with a 42% PR, replaced by Terizla. Note that the top 5 picks are all tanks and/or fighters with strong AoE capabilities, or CC, so it’s safe to say we’re in the era of fighter-tanks, for now at least.
First up, let’s highlight W4’s MVP: Logan from Shopee Bosskurr, playing Kaja!
Kaja, Soaring Above
Kaja is a hero that’s been banned a lot in the past 2 weeks, able to zone out enemies with his slowing ring (1st skill), lightning bombs (2nd skill), and ultimate that drags an enemy away for his team to jump on. These skills combined make him a formidable threat that can break the enemy formation, so most teams would rather ban him than risk trying to secure Kaja and getting outpicked. But, Logan DID get a chance to pick Kaja, and went wild versus Louvre, helping his team to secure a 2-1 match win.
You can watch the MVP highlights video at the top, or check out his post-match screenshot to get an idea of how he builds Kaja.
AoE Monsters: Grock, X.Borg, and Terizla
In an AoE tank/fighter meta, it’s inevitable that Grock’s going to shine, and he’s been #1 for 3 weeks in a row! With his CC and AoE damage for zoning (1st skill, ultimate), passive (tankiness plus speed near walls), and wall creation (2nd skill), Grock is a very versatile fighter and tank.
Grock’s only real weakness is getting kited and blasted by ranged heroes (like Harith and Karrie), which isn’t a problem for him in the present meta. He won’t win games by himself, but Grock’s invaluable on any team and has the highest PR (79%) of W4!
X.Borg
It’s everyone’s favourite pyromaniac!
Ever since his introduction, X.Borg has been dominant on the pick list, with his powerful AoE damage skills (and his 1st skill deals True Damage if his passive is stacked) that destroys anyone caught inside easily. He’s not very mobile, but that doesn’t matter if the meta doesn’t revolve around mobility.
Plus, with two slows (1st and ultimate skills) and a pull (2nd skill) in his kit, it’s not easy to get away from him, especially if you’re an immobile hero.
Terizla
And here’s a new face on the pick list. Previously, he was banned quite a bit (and still is), but his pick rate rose a lot in week 4, likely in response to the meta.
So, what makes this hero a strong pick and important ban?
Terizla is, essentially, an executioner, with an ultimate that pulls enemies back into the zone and heavy AoE skills (2nd skill deals bonus missing HP damage). He fits well with other damage dealers like X.Borg and Grock, and they complement each other’s kits. Sounds scary, right? I bet the teams feel the same way, which is why he’s a must pick/ban.
Mobility and Anti-Mobility: Chou and Khufra
Khufra’s not high on the damage scale, but is tanky, and every single skill of his can prevent movement or spellcasts, especially his AoE ultimate, making him invaluable to protect his team or catch enemies for the slaughter. His 2nd skill (knocks enemies into the air if they blink through it) is also pretty unique as an anti-mobility tool.
Chou’s, and he’s also another contested pick/ban like Terizla. Chou’s real value lies in his mobility and displacement skills, with decent CC as well.
Both of Chou’s normal skills allow him to dash and blink around the battlefield, which means he serves as a sort of soft counter to the current meta, while also contributing to it with his CC. With his 1st skill’s knockups and ultimate, which allows him to kick an enemy far away before flying to them, Chou is capable of crippling the enemy team by targeting their main damage dealer for removal, taking them out of the fight and allowing the rest to mop up.
Kimmy, Still Annoying; No Hariths allowed
There’s not much to say about Kimmy, she’s been banned since the beginning of S4, because nobody wants to deal with the annoying marksman that fires at you while running away (passive) and is impossible to catch without mobility skills due to her AoE slows. Despite marksmen no longer being in the meta, Kimmy’s frustrating enough to be a priority ban (73% PR!), which means hardly anyone gets to play her.
I think the same could be said of Harith, a burst damage/mobility mage who was picked a fair bit in W1 and 2 but has since fallen into the depths of ban hell. If Chou is bad with his short-ranged mobility and single target CC ultimate, Harith is worse, with his ability to reduce CC time (passive), two dashes that have lowered cooldowns when using his other skills, and an ultimate that traps all enemies inside it and gives him even MORE cooldown reduction. Basically, if a Harith plays well, you’ll never catch him, and he’ll burst you down before running away.
