TNC Pro Team’s MPL Philippines Season 18 campaign has had enough twists to qualify as a roller coaster. Now, the Phoenix Army needs to turn its late-season escape into a meaningful playoff run.
Built around veteran jungler Justine “Zaida” Palma, TNC entered the season with a revamped lineup and the promise of a fresh start. But after a promising opening stretch, the team struggled to keep pace with the changing meta and found itself fighting for the final playoff berth.
The Phoenix Army eventually survived the regular season at 4-10, securing qualification after Smart Omega swept AP.Bren in Week 8. With them, TNC kept its postseason hopes alive despite losing its own series against Team Falcons PH.
Dreams Come True
TNC rebuilt around Zaida, promoting mid laner Ervin “Vinnn” Franco from Rough World Era and roamer Zehnder “Zehn” Fabugais from Aurora Hunters. The team also brought back Jomari “Jowm” Pingol after his stint in India and acquired Nowee “Ryota” Macasa from ONIC PH.
The lineup had the ingredients for an aggressive, damage-heavy playstyle. But as the second half of the split unfolded, TNC struggled to translate its potential into consistent series victories.
Head coach Patrick “E2MAX” Caidic acknowledged the team’s mid-season friction, citing map adjustments, meta shifts, and difficulties closing out tight series. Those problems left the Phoenix Army with little margin for error. Its Week 8 matches against ONIC PH and Falcons showed that it could still take games from established contenders, but the team needed help elsewhere to secure its place in the playoffs.
That help arrived when Omega’s sweep of AP.Bren confirmed TNC’s qualification. The result ended the campaign of the two-time world champions and gave TNC another chance to make its rebuilt roster count. The late-season escape gives the Phoenix Army a fresh starting point. Its next challenge is making sure the postseason brings a different story.
Jowm’s “Whiplash” comes with a cost
Jowm remains one of TNC’s most important offensive weapons, combining aggressive positioning with strong damage output relative to his gold income.
Based on the supplied regular-season statistics, Jowm ranked among the league’s top 10 players in damage per gold at 4.54, leading all gold laners in the category. He also placed among the league’s top three in damage share, highlighting how heavily TNC relies on him during team fights.
But that production comes with a trade-off.
Jowm recorded 52 deaths, the most among gold laners, while his 1.44 deaths per game ranked second in the role. His willingness to take risks can create openings, but those same decisions can leave TNC without its primary damage dealer at critical moments.
For the playoffs, TNC Pro Team needs Jowm to maintain his offensive pressure without repeatedly exposing himself. Better coordination around his positioning and more disciplined engagements could help the gold laner turn his high-volume damage into a more reliable win condition.
A “Whole Different Animal” level of efficiency
Vinnn gives TNC Pro Team another source of damage and playmaking, helping the team avoid becoming too dependent on Jowm.
The supplied statistics put the rookie second league-wide in damage per gold at 5.65. His 78.19% kill participation ranked eighth in the league, while his 13 unique heroes tied him for fourth in hero-pool diversity.
Those numbers point to a mid laner who can contribute without requiring the team to funnel all its resources into him.
Vinnn’s Valentina posted a 5-4 record with a 3.58 KDA, while his Zhuxin finished at 2-3 with a 3.50 KDA. Those picks offer reference points for TNC’s draft planning, although the team’s overall execution will matter more than any single hero’s record.
If Vinnn can maintain that efficiency while creating opportunities for his teammates, TNC will have another way to pressure opponents. That added threat could also make it harder for rival teams to focus their resources on shutting down Jowm.
Zehn’s “ATTITUDE” needs to translate into cleaner engagements
Zehn’s promotion from Aurora Hunters, the MDL-winning roster, added an aggressive roamer to TNC’s rebuilt lineup.
The supplied statistics place him fourth among roamers in combined kills and assists. However, his results on frequent picks Marcel and Carmilla leave room for improvement. Marcel recorded a 40% win rate with a 3.00 KDA, while Carmilla finished at 33% with a 1.42 KDA.
Those numbers do not tell the entire story of a roamer’s performance, since initiations, vision, team composition, and objective setups all influence a pick’s value. Still, TNC needs its aggressive plays to produce more consistent advantages.
Zehn’s coordination with Zaida will be especially important around contested objectives. The two need to create openings that allow Jowm and Vinnn to deal damage safely, rather than forcing the carries to fight from unfavorable positions.
Making “LEMONADE”
TNC’s postseason ceiling also depends on Ryota finding a more consistent impact in the EXP lane.
The supplied data identifies Ryota as the league’s most diverse hero-pool user with 15, but hero flexibility is only valuable when it translates into reliable performance. TNC needs him to hold his own on tankier EXP lane picks, establish a dependable frontline, and create enough space for its damage dealers.
That need becomes more pressing when paired with the team’s difficulty closing out tight series. Taking a map from a stronger opponent demonstrates potential, but winning the series demands consistent drafting, objective control, and decision-making in the late game.
This is where E2MAX and the coaching staff must help the roster put its individual strengths together. TNC needs drafts that fit the current meta, clearer execution around major objectives, and better control of the moments when a small mistake can undo an otherwise strong game. With the time allotted between the regular season and the playoffs, and the way they took much-favored teams to the limit, they will likely to show a better comp heading to their first round match.
Looking for a “Spicy” Run
TNC’s qualification gives its rebuilt roster another opportunity to prove itself, but the regular season exposed several issues that cannot be ignored.
Jowm must preserve his damage output without giving away too many deaths. Vinnn needs to remain a dependable second offensive option, while Zehn and Ryota must help create the space and structure that allow TNC’s carries to thrive. Zaida and E2MAX, meanwhile, need to find a more reliable way to turn promising game states into series victories.
The Phoenix Army has shown enough individual firepower to challenge stronger opponents on individual maps. What remains uncertain is whether it can sustain that level across an entire series.
TNC has already survived the regular-season race for survival. Now, the Phoenix Army has a chance to turn its playoff escape into an “Armageddon” for the teams standing in its way—but only if it can finally pair its firepower with the consistency needed to win.
