Cloud9 vs 100 Thieves

For our second 2020 LCS Spring Split playoff match, we have a rather fascinating clash between Cloud9 and 100 Thieves.

Now, in all fairness, this isn't exactly the most hyped-up fight in the world, but that doesn't mean that entertainment will be absent. On the contrary. We'll witness a clash between one of the best and most capable teams North America ever fostered, and a fairly solid, deceptively dangerous challenger that took everyone by surprise.

100 Thieves are far from perfect. That's a fact that's well-known. Their regular season run so far has been heavily flawed, which is one of the main reasons why they haven't been able to lock down their playoff spot until the very end of week nine. But they faced adversity and fought through the many problems and obstacles which were on their path. They clutched things out when it mattered the most, and that's highly commendable, to say the least.

As a result, however, it's still hard to pinpoint and assess their current power level. They're, at times, fantastic, but that's not a consistent state, but rather their maximum. In actuality, they're far more volatile and that holds true for their in-game play along with their drafting tendencies which often leave a lot to be desired. Still, they have many tools to work with. Ssumday is still an absolute beast in every sense of the word and Cody Sun is, once again, a top-tier performer that's always at the right place at the right time. The rest of the team is carrying their share of the weight as well, but they're nowhere near as impactful. Stunt is known for overextending and bad positioning, Meteos has good and bad games, whereas Ryoma still hasn't proven his worth -- there are many question marks regarding his play and the general consensus is that he's lacking in strength and potential when facing top-tier opposition.

Still, they're great overall and have rightfully earned the third spot in the standings, right behind Evil Geniuses in Cloud9.

This version of Cloud9, however, is arguably the most dominant team in the history of the region. They're the frontrunners to win the whole split and their dominance and sheer potential simply cannot be highlighted enough. They've looked so darn good in seventeen of their eighteen games so far that it's impossible not to give them the full benefit of the doubt, regardless of the opponent. They can win through any lane or strategy they want and their ability to traverse the Summoner's Rift and fight from both ahead and behind is staggering, and unparalleled historically speaking.

They're the heavy favorites tonight and there's a good reason why that's the case. 100 Thieves are a tough nut to crack when they're in their flow, but a team like Cloud9 should have no problem in taking them down.

Finally, this will be the first time we'll get to see this incarnation of Cloud9 duke it out in the Best of 5 format. That's an incredibly important moment and it'll give us a ton of information that's going to be invaluable going forward. In the end, going with the boys in black and blue is the only logical choice.