yes and in the end you need to beat all except one to get in B anyway. :)

Also please note:
Slots of good players are ressources. If I am able to save slots of my best players at stage 1, I can use them at stage 2. For example:

Group - A: to easy, 1 good, us + crap
I only use enough slots of best players to get 2nd and to qualify for stage 2. Results: I have best players at stage 2.

Group - B: group of death, all good
I have to use my best players in order to qualify for stage 2 and there I have left only the worser part of my roaster.

So stage 1 may become very tactically (who do I need to get 2nd) and having unblanced groups is the worst thing one could have at stage 1... in the end luck may be the most critical thing to get promoted into B.

Edited 12/17/2016 09:33:00

Sure you can do it like this but this is also very risky. Would be funny if a clan gets not in the Playoffs because they underestimate another clan.

Also it is a but reguläres because you cant put a Player in 3 Spots in only one stage.

Sure it is not perfect right now. But what is perfect right from the beginning?

[is saying the HAWKS guy who is likely together with TJC in Group 4; imo the 2 strongest seeded Clans (at least the strongest Kombination you can get at the moment)]

Edited 12/17/2016 11:25:39

Also please note:
Slots of good players are ressources. If I am able to save slots of my best players at stage 1, I can use them at stage 2. For example:

Group - A: to easy, 1 good, us + crap
I only use enough slots of best players to get 2nd and to qualify for stage 2. Results: I have best players at stage 2.

Group - B: group of death, all good
I have to use my best players in order to qualify for stage 2 and there I have left only the worser part of my roaster.

So stage 1 may become very tactically (who do I need to get 2nd) and having unblanced groups is the worst thing one could have at stage 1... in the end luck may be the most critical thing to get promoted into B.

This is, I think, the only real valid argument why you would seed further down. If it was just a knockout stage afterwards with all players available, then I would fully agree with Cloud Strife that not even the big sports competitions are immune to that.

But there, the same players can be (abundantly) reused in later stages. Here, you could arguably be the best clan overall, but be forced to use more of your better players in stage 1 and be beaten by 2 clans in stage 2 who didn't have to do this, thus missing out on promotion (not even taking into account the inherent randomness of the games).

Edited 12/17/2016 13:01:53

Damn, u guys should definitely read carefully what MotD wrote on the templates thread about the procedure of CL 9.

Tentative Dates:

    12-17    Template panel prunes list of templates
    12-21    We verify the templates
    1-11     All clans submit their votes on the 12 1v1, 6 2v2, 4 3v3 templates
    1-17     Declare results of the vote.
    2-1      Submit clan lineups
    2-4      Random Draw to determine groups in Qualifiers.
    2-11     CL9 begins

U can see, that it's clearly saying, that each clan submits their lineup before knowing who they face. That's good, because it makes it fair, that nobody gains any advantage of an easier group. At least not for holding back the best players for stage 2. Ofc u can do that, but than u have to take the risk, that u might end up in a strong group in stage 1.

In my opinion that's enough to make it as fair as possible. There will be already 8 teams seeded. Which might not be that accurate in this first season, but it will be pretty much accurate on the following ones. Besides that it just makes it more interesting especially for the drawing itself if strong newcomer clans aren't seeded any further. That gives a more tactical note for submitting the lineup for all the clans in the qualifier stage.

Edited 12/17/2016 12:18:24

Ah okay that makes a Lot easier. Sry, for Missing out the Template thread. I am not aware which threads are on for CL9.

I would prefer to avoid ranking clans. It becomes hard because each clan does not know all the clans they are ranking and it becomes a crap shoot.

Why? A list will certainly not be perfect. But most players should be ranking all clans at plus minus the same place. It is obvious some clans are stronger than others. Everybody should be able to rank clans at least in a little bit normal fashion.

If we are then going to put them in groups of 4 then you have a little bit of playing room either way. You can be ranked 1st to 4th and still be in the same group. Even though most lists will rank clans slightly different. I doubt a serious misplacement will happen.

U can see, that it's clearly saying, that each clan submits their lineup before knowing who they face. That's good, because it makes it fair, that nobody gains any advantage of an easier group. At least not for holding back the best players for stage 2. Ofc u can do that, but than u have to take the risk, that u might end up in a strong group in stage 1.

This doesnt solve the problem, is only avoids tactically line-ups. As I stated above: There is the risk, that a clans performs very well at stage 1 in a difficult group, but hasnt left any good players at stage 2. And unbalanced group do increase the risk of this happening.

Ranking the clans may help to balance the groups and through my eyes this is way better than just randomized groups. There may be small inaccurencies but it is better than doing nothing about this issue.

This doesnt solve the problem, is only avoids tactically line-ups. As I stated above: There is the risk, that a clans performs very well at stage 1 in a difficult group, but hasnt left any good players at stage 2. And unbalanced group do increase the risk of this happening.

Ranking the clans may help to balance the groups and through my eyes this is way better than just randomized groups. There may be small inaccurencies but it is better than doing nothing about this issue.

When I read people complaining about potentially ending up in a hard group that they will use up all their good players stage 1, it feels like they are deflecting blame. If you do not have a deep lineup of players for clan league, that is the clan's fault, not the format's. In clan league, a clan with depth does better more often then not.

As to the two clans that have complained so far 101st and Apprentice, no clan knows more or can prepare more then each other so I don't know what you want. We are all starting on roughly equal footing. If you have a plan to seed all clans, because sure you can vote on the clans but then what, now is the time otherwise we are running out of time to adopt change.

This doesnt solve the problem, is only avoids tactically line-ups. As I stated above:
There is the risk, that a clans performs very well at stage 1 in a difficult group, but hasnt
left any good players at stage 2. And unbalanced group do increase the risk of this happening.

If a clan chooses to take their best players in all the 3 spots in stage 1 than that would be stupid, but not a problem at all. That clan won't have a chance to be successful on stage 2 than and let's be honest the only clans i can see doing that, are the clans that aren't as strong as the other clans in the qualifier stage, because every clan that has a chance at promoting to B won't let their best players play in all 3 spots in stage 1.

So GE is right when he says that u need to have a deep roster for these situations. If u're a really good clan than u don't have just a handful of good players, but also a good depth and than u should be able to field enough good players to still beat these clans who go all-in in stage 1. Without a deep roster it's unlikely that u would be able to compete in division B anyways.

From a neutral perspective i would love it if the format stays like it is. It makes things more interesting. Not only on the draw itself, but especially to see the strategies of the clans on their lineups. A good clan wants to rest some of their best players for stage 2 and might be able to do so if they have a deep roster, but they also have to weight the risk that they might play against clans who are going all in in stage 1. That's just a new tactical feature and so it can happen that some clans miscalculated themselfes, which would make things even more interesting.

Edited 12/17/2016 20:55:40

When I read people complaining about potentially ending up in a hard group that they will use up all their good players stage 1, it feels like they are deflecting blame. If you do not have a deep lineup of players for clan league, that is the clan's fault, not the format's. In clan league, a clan with depth does better more often then not.

Exatly, GE and Edge nailed it.It's also true in the higher divisions as well. Lynx and Masters had serious depth, 3 clans that ended bottom just didn't even if they were among strongest -traditionally speaking - and even though some of the best players played for them. Same thing with say,M'Hunters. They have fat roster of good players and it pays.

So there is an overall theme of CL awarding strong clans as opposed to strong players now as intended - remember, the rule used to be max 4 slots per player. We're now down to max 3/season with max 2 per stage in QF.

You need more than 4 really good players to even get to B division now. That shows you just how strong this competition became and it makes any success in it more meaningful.

Now, I'm leading one of the smallest clans that ever competed in CL (7 members back in CL8) with a very restrictive (to put it mildly) recruitment policy but I'm more than ok with this because this is much better for the competition itself.

I understand I'm late to the party here, but if I can enter my clan into this League 9, I would love the chance. Obviously if I'm too late, I understand, but if there is still a spot available, we would be interested.

Thanks.

edit - note, I'm the primary contact and I'm online all day, every day, so I don't need a secondary.
https://www.warlight.net/Profile?p=6519357283

Secondary contact, if necessary, is Legacy. https://www.warlight.net/Profile?p=8976112707

Edited 12/20/2016 20:57:23

I understand I'm late to the party here, but if I can enter my clan into this League 9, I would love the chance. Obviously if I'm too late, I understand, but if there is still a spot available, we would be interested.

Sorry. We cannot accept new clans after the deadline.

No problem, thanks very much, I'll keep a lookout for League 10.