I think it would be cool to see a tournament between the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th ranking teams in each region as well as wildcards! This probably unlikely, but I am curious to see how the regions teams would place against each other. Maybe the LCK would have a harder time?
You pretty much had me until the last question. Basically from my own observation, would LCK have a harder time? I would genuinely answer yes. It would very likely not be some whitewash "all Korean teams are overlords," "low Korean would place high in X" scenario either.
Now idk about you or anyone else, but I found the mid to lower Korean teams making quite a few bone headed individual plays or actions this summer at the least. Only speaking on terms of the major regions, frankly if the team fighting of the likes of JAG, ROX, MVP, and/or AFS should be something of a force to be reckoned with, their chance of a solo or duo blunder is most certainly something that isn't unlikely to me. That puts their ceilings not as high as I would like to say to be honest. Compare that to other 5-8 teams (4-6 for LMS). I would nearly omit AFS on this observation but I do feel that the top potential in those LCK teams would not really eclipse the likes of the collective potential from the other regions.
The only time the whole 5th-8th possible meetings between regions happens is during those IEM type of tournaments. I truly believe that if NA/LCK/LPL/EU etc lower tier teams faced NA would either A. Win most games or B. come very close to winning such tournament.
LCK just isn't as strong from top-bottom as it once was, instead it's kinda like the NBA currently with 4-5 "super" teams/KT Rolster and rest of the teams maybe have 1 good player if that.
LPL - no idea, haven't watched a LPL game in like 2 years. No comment
EU - Ah
Long story short, I agree with Gem I too think the LCK lower tier teams aren't some "overlords" either but at the same time it is the LCK after all.
More teams + matches in worlds/international events with winner and loser brackets feels good
