LCS 2021: Three Reasons Cloud9 Defeated 100 Thieves

The first weekend of the LCS Mid-Season Showdown is in the books and Cloud9 has joined Team Liquid in the finals of the winner’s bracket. The winner of their showdown will advance to the Mid-Season Showdown finals and have a chance to represent their region at MSI. On the other hand, 100 Thieves falls down to the lower bracket, needing a miracle run to advance.

Cloud9 advancing over 100 Thieves was a fairly expected result. C9 entered the tournament as the #1 seed from the Spring Split, while 100 Thieves slipped in as the fourth-seed. Still, a 3-0 drubbing by Cloud9 was a bit surprising. Here are three reasons why C9 managed to dispatch of 100 Thieves so easily.

1. Blaber Is Dominant

More from Blog of Legends

• Bee’koz Vel’koz Skin: Splash Art, Price, Release, How to Get
• King Beegar Skin: Splash Art, Price, Release, How to Get
• EMENES retires following leave from Cloud9, cites military service
• EMENES Donezo Manifesto: Former Cloud9 Midlaner airs out grievances
• Team Heretics Perkz: European legend reportedly playing for TH

100 Thieves’ jungler Closer has long been considered one of the strongest junglers in the LCS since his arrival to NA from the Turkish league a few years ago. But even at his strongest form (which he assuredly hasn’t been at in 2021 so far), there’s no doubt that he was outmatched entering this series. C9’s jungler, Blaber, is the best jungler in the LCS and has been for quite some time.

In this series, it was the Blaber show as he combined for just two deaths in the three-game series. In Game 2, 100 Thieves stupidly allowed Blaber to get his hands on Olaf, perhaps his best champion, and Blaber promptly made them pay. He went 1/0/8, running roughshod over the backline of 100T on the way to a win.

2. An Off (Ssum)day

It hasn’t been the best of splits for the man most 100 Thieves fans thought would be their team’s centerpiece, top laner Ssumday. He’s been firmly middle-of-the-pack throughout spring, and facing Fudge most fans figured he would be a focal point for his team to have a chance.

Here’s how Cloud9 took down 100 Thieves!

Instead, Fudge was able to more than hold his own, even though Ssumday got a lot of topside pressure from Closer. On tanks like Sion and off-tanks like Renekton and Sett, Fudge managed to initiate fights perfectly while Ssumday struggled to carry on champions like Aatrox and Gangplank.

3. Oh Tommy Boy

There were mixed reactions when 100 Thieves decided to swap mid laners halfway through the split. Though I was a bit less skeptical about the decision to start Ry0ma over Damonte when it happened, it’s clear that the move did not help the Thieves improve. In fact, it appears to be an overall downgrade.

In this series, in particular, it was quite evident that Ry0ma was outgunned, with several missed Orianna and Azir ults through the first two games. Even though Damonte hadn’t played in weeks, it would have made sense to give him a chance in Game 3, considering their backs were against the wall and the Thieves were in desperate need of some hope.

Instead, 100 Thieves stayed the course with Ry0ma. Game 3 was his best of the series, as he went 2/3/1 on Syndra. Unfortunately, his impact was still minimal and 100 Thieves bowed to the Cloud9 overlords to lose the series.