Thread the Cursed Needle.
It’s finally Melissa’s time to shine in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, eight months after she was introduced in the Land of Dawn.
Thanks to the buffs she received in the MLBB patch 1.7.08 coupled with nerfs to Beatrix and Wanwan, the Cursed Needle is becoming one of the most popular gold laners in the current meta. She has the fifth highest win rate (55.07%) among all heroes and top among marksmen across all ranks, according to MLBB stats.
Her skill set containing long-range poke and defense allows her to win most lane matchups. Her early game dominance means she’s able to get her core items quickly to deal heavy damage in team fights and when pushing turrets.
But like all the other heroes, she has weaknesses that you can capitalize on. Here are three of the best counters to marksman of the Forsaken Light in Mobile Legends.
3 counters to Melissa in Mobile Legends
Moskov
Moskov is one of the few marksmen who can square off against Melissa on the lane. The Spear of Quiescence has the skills that can negate her poking prowess.
He can easily step out of the range of Melissa’s primary poke ability, Eyes on You! (Skill 2), by using the Abyss Walker (Skill 1). This also gives him bonus attack speed which he can utilize to intimidate Melissa.
You can use the Spear of Misery (Skill 2) to push her out of her Go Away! ultimate, removing its protective barrier. If you fail to push her out, you can still trade basic attacks with Moskov’s range.
Moskov’s passive ability lowers the cooldown of both his Skill 1 and 2. In a situation where the two marksmen have full items, Moskov has the advantage because he has stronger abilities.
Franco
Franco is the most effective tank hero to use against Melissa. His Iron Hook (Skill1) can pierce through the barrier of her ultimate and render it useless.
If you land the Iron Hook and pull her out, the barrier will evaporate right away and you can suppress her with the Bloody Hunt (ultimate). Just make sure to coordinate with your gold laner or any ally who can burst her down.
The Frozen Warrior is also a natural carrier of Dominance Ice which reduces the attack speed as well as shields and HP regen of nearby enemies. This reduces the attack speed bonus from Melissa’s first skill, Falling!, and lessens the lifesteal effect of the Demon Hunter Sword, a core item that she frequently buys.
Yve
Unlike Franco and Moskov who counter Melissa by closing the gap, Yve can destroy the Cursed Needle with her long-range abilities. All of the Astrowarden’s skills can pierce through Melissa’s barrier.
If you catch Melissa out of position in a team fight, you can use Yve’s Real World Manipulation ultimate to rain down magical nukes. But be sure to position in an safe area where enemies cannot reach you easily.
If Melissa survives, you can always use Void Crystal (Skill 2) and Void Blast (Skill 1) to stop her from escaping. Remember to build Ice Queen Wand to further strengthen the slow effects from Real World Manipulation and Void Crystal. Pharsa is a great substitute as well with her Feathered Air Strike ultimate if Yve gets banned.
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