How to Be a 6th Man, According to Pando

Pando has been benched for four seasons, and he’s absolutely fine with it. 

Vincent Unigo, aka Pando, formerly known as Pandora, is AP BREN’s longtime 6th man—a spare tire, a backup player, a substitute. He’s been warming his seat for the past 4 seasons, but unlike other players who take offense and act up when benched, Pando is absolutely fine with it. 

“Mas ma-ooffend pa ako kung 6th man ako tapos hindi pa nagcha-champion yung team, eh!” Pando told ALL-STAR. 

(“I would be more offended if I were the 6th man of a team that hasn’t even won a championship!”)

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When we asked the team who their unsung heroes are, they mentioned a couple of names of their household staff, their managers, and then Pandora (Pando). 

Owgwen: “Si Pandora!”

Duckey: “Si Pandora!”

Owgwen: “The unsung hero talaga!”

Duckey: “Ang galing eh!”

Duckey high-fives Owgwen. 

Owgwen: “The hero iyan, the hero.”

Duckey: “The hero we never needed!” 

Pando takes the joke in stride, with no ounce of insecurity in his body. 

Everybody on the team loves Pandora. 

Unknown to many, he’s part of why AP BREN keeps winning. He also silently contributed to the team’s victory in the Games of the Future MLBB tournament in Russia. For the longest time, he tried to convince the team to use the hero Alice with an item called Molten Essence, and Vexana too. 

“Maraming ideas si Pando na binibigay niya sa amin, mga gusto niyang ipasugal sa amin sa laro!” said Pheww. 

(“Pando keeps giving us many ideas that he wants us to risk using in tournaments!”)

“Tapos kami na lang aayos ng idea niya,” added KyleTzy. 

(“We’re just the ones who execute his ideas.”)

“Katulad nung Games of the Future, sinugal namin yung Vexana niya kahit hindi gumagamit si Pheww ng Vexana sa scrims. Ayun, nanalo,” said FlapTzy. 

(“Just like in Games of the Future, we took the risk of using Vexana even though Pheww has never used that in scrimmages. We won.”)

Pheww was surprised Pando’s advice would work. 

As someone with the vantage point of watching the game as a bench player, Pando can see things his teammates sometimes overlook. But on top of this, he has to be always proficient to play any role for the team—Jungler, Roamer, Exp Laner, Mid Laner, and Gold Laner. That’s the duty of being a team’s sixth man, especially for AP BREN, which has the leanest roster in the MPL. They only have one substitute player, and that’s Pando. 

Pando, the Self-Proclaimed ‘Sigma Rizzler of Mandaluyong’

Pando does not need to play to prove anything. He is a self-assured gentleman who needs no validation. He even labeled himself as the “Sigma Rizzler of Mandaluyong.” 

Sigma refers to a male, usually portrayed as a lone wolf who doesn’t conform to societal norms or the traditional social hierarchy. Sigmas are seen as independent, self-reliant, and non-conformist, often avoiding the spotlight and preferring to operate on the fringes of social groups. It is someone superior to an “Alpha.” Meanwhile, a rizzler is a male who is exceptionally skilled in picking up women, thanks to his sex appeal and looks. 

With an abundance of confidence, Pando is fine wherever you seat him on the team, even if it is the bench he’s been warming for four seasons. 

“What’s your secret to being an excellent 6th man?” we asked. 

“Dapat talaga aligned yung ideals ninyo sa isa’t isa. Kaming anim kasi, one goal din. Kapag may isang bumabaliko, babalik din agad sa team,” said Pando. 

(“Your ideals must be aligned with your team. The six of us have one goal. And if someone goes astray, he immediately comes back to the fold.”)

More than having mechanical skills in the game, Pando has also become his team’s cheerleader and outlet for grievances. 

“Pero bukod sa technical, tinutulungan ko rin silang ma-uplift ang spirit nila kasi nararamdaman ko talaga yung pressure nila eh. Ako yung nagiging rant buddy nila eh! Lalo na sila Kyle, Flap, Owgwen.”

(“Apart from technical things, I also uplift their spirits because I feel their pressure. I also tend to become their rant buddy, especially for Kyle, Flap, and Owgwen.”)

Pandora does not treat his teammates as mere colleagues, but brothers, and he wants the best for them even if it means he has to take the backseat. 

‘It’s Important That Your Substitute Does Not Look at the Main Five as Competitors.’

“Why are you fine with being a 6th man? Don’t you want to play?” we asked. 

“Hindi naman sa chill lang. Kaya naman din masaya ako na 6th man kasi hindi naman kami nagko-compete for a position, like kami ni Flap or kung sino man. Family kami, ganoon. Ako, gusto kong nagsi-sixth man kung nagcha-champion din kayo eh. Mas maooffend ako kung sixth man ako tapos hindi pa nagcha-champion yung team, eh! Nakikita ko naman na gusto nilang manalo, same kami ng ideals at same kami ng goals. Worth it lang din.”

(“It’s not that I’m chill with it per se. It’s just that I’m happy to be the 6th man because we’re not competing against each other for a position, like Flap and I or anybody else are not competing to be able to play. We’re family. And besides, I want to be the 6th man for a team that wins championships. I would be more offended if I were the 6th man of a team that hasn’t even won a championship! I can see that the boys want to win and we have the same goals and ideals. It’s worth it.”)

Pheww, AP BREN’s Mid Laner, agrees. 

“Importante rin na yung substitute ninyo, hindi competition ang tingin sa main five. Kasi kung pipili ka ng team, kailangan mong i-risk na itong team, magsusucceed. Kung tatakutin mo lang na itong kapalit mo, ganun, papangit ang laro mo,” Pheww told ALL-STAR. 

(“It’s important that your substitute does not look at the main five as competitors. If you’re going to pick a team, you have to take a risk for it to succeed. If you’re going to threaten the team that it will lose if someone else played, your game will be lost.”)

That being said, is AP BREN’s Main Five okay to become the 6th man?

We didn’t even have to hear their answer. 

“Okay lang po, basta yung papalit sa amin ay yung gustong mag-champion, nasa puso nila,” said FlapTzy, and the rest agreed. 

(“It’s okay as long as our substitute is really passionate about winning the championship. It’s in their heart.”)

Pando agrees.

“Dapat ang 6th man, hindi gustong maglaro para magpakitang gilas. Dapat team pa rin ang uunahin. Yung success ng team,” said Pando. 

(“The 6th man should not play for ego or glory. He should put the team first, the team’s success.”)

While many esports players are obsessed with individual glory, Pando does not want it. He knows his worth and contributions, and his team’s victory is also his.