Yeah 12 players is enough to run an event, but typically you want more than the number of players you need and then choose the best, rather than having that number of viable choices.While I agree, that I would not be excited for an event with multiple AoE games in it, 12 players doesnt seem too few. RBW5 had 14 players, and if I remember correctly they had planned on only 12, but basically had excluded one player from the invites because they incorrectly assumed he couldnt attend because of COVID, so they ended up inviting him regardless and opened the qualifiers for an additional person.
And I was maybe being a bit generous with who I counted too, basically counted anyone in gold league who is/was 2k1 aoe2 (plus hera) so people like recon, marinelord included
Tho I'm sure some of the AoE4 players who don't play aoe2 are capable of getting to that level with a few months (or vice versa), but it would undoubtedly be a big effort. Like especially those two spanish players are just beasts so i bet they could pick it up, and the other top players are obviously smart cookies. But it would need a lot of time and effort which would need a good lead time and the promise of a very good payoff.