Why don't more teams try to copy Cloud 9?
It seems that year in and year out, C9 is the most reliable NA team at getting out of the group stage. They just got out of a group that had RNG and the reigning world champs in it. Last year weren't they in the same group with SKT? I mean yes they lost the tie breaker for first with RNG this year, but I didn't see any of the other NA teams competing for first place. So shouldn't the NA teams be following C9's lead?
I agree with in the sense that teams need to copy the C9 mentality. I don't think other teams can play C9's exact game (Zilean, Hecarim, Singed), but I do think they can copy the C9 strategy on how to beat really good teams on an international level.
The thought process for most of these teams is to copy the way the best teams in the world play... not understanding that isn't going to work, because the players in LPL and LCK are simply more talented than the NA players... so playing like them isn't logical.
If teams copied the C9 strategy and mentality when it come to bans (target ban. don't be afraid to let "op" picks go over to the other side, just ban the champions that the enemy team is the most comfortable with), picks (pocket picks. Play what you're best at. learn from something that has failed and don't go back to it... in fact... play something completely different. Who cares if it is "meta" or "strong"?), gameplay (which lane is winning or can be easily carried? Is there a lane that is guaranteed to lose? Stay away from it. Don't go there. Farm it out if you need to. Fight for the late game or fight for the team fight. Don't be afraid to be aggressive or go for a fight, even if it doesn't really work on paper.)
Cloud 9's adaptability is the reason we always see them make it through. They show up with a plan, but no that the plan needs to change depending on what is happening in the games they are playing.
Personally i feel like C9 approaches the game differently than any other NA team. They usually seem to at least have an idea on how to beat whatever team they are facing. Other NA teams seem to always play the same way against every opponent.
C9 have been the only NA Worlds team since season 3. Consistently show up, rarely get hardstomped. I mean, realistically speaking TL are trash, both teams that qualified from their group got eliminated in quarters, both to teams that 100T had to face IN THE GROUP stage
I think it has something to do with regional pride/dominance. C9 hasn't won an NALCS Split since 2014 (they've come close a few times though), and often end up as the 3rd seed going into Worlds. Because having a team of veterans often gives you a higher chance of winning regionals than internationals most teams usually aren't willing to give rookies a chance to show their skills. Now of course the argument could be made that it's because C9 benched their veterans that they were stuck in 10th during the first half of Summer, but if it wasn't for that then C9 probably wouldn't have made Worlds this year.
Because C9 often goes in as the 3rd seed it also gives them an advantage as it means more games to play via the play-ins, and for this years Worlds 3 of the 4 play-in teams (GREX excluded) managed to reach quarters, which can partially be attributed to more stage time.
I think another reason is the C9 org in general in that they allow their players to play their style and trusting them to do their jobs in-game. Other teams often stick with the same few picks and rarely adapt as much as teams like C9 does, and while that may work in NA it often times doesn't internationally.
I think more and more teams will slowly but surely start to follow C9s example and give stage time to their rookies and/or loosen up with their picks now that C9 made to semis and now that relegation is no longer a thing, but we'll see how it goes.
Because they are more focused on being Region first like TSM and draw the masses to buy theyr merch.
Trying to copy another team doesnt always mean it works for them. With your logic why wouldnt every team try to copy the Koreans then who always make it out of groups and into the finals?
Liquid seemed to have such a shit mentality going into this tourney. Doublelifts IGN during boot camp was "NAomegalul" ffs he went in to the whole thing expecting to get stomped, and played like a complete puss the whole time (watch the team fights. His team would engage or at least put in some effort during fights while DL would be watching from over the wall, then waste his flash running away after his whole team died waiting for him to do something)
And 💯 thieves just gave 0 fucks about the whole thing since they know their roster is getting decimated in the off season. C9 was the only of one of our teams that even gave themselves a chance, mentally
You cant copy mentality.
