As someone (the only player?) that has played 7+ months on both EU and NA, I will share with you my observation on the fundamental differences between NA and EU. I accept that this is a dated evaluation (I have been back in EU for several months), none the less it appears to still apply.
With regards to melee, NA has some very good players, as good as anybody in EU, but the servers are full of poor players who crutch on str. Perhaps because of the dominance of balanced or agi-balanced builds, the average skill level on EU is far higher. On NA servers as a skilled duelist you will encounter only a handful of people who are actually a challenge, whereas on EU every other fight will be a challenge.
This applies equally to ranged, as was demonstrated in last strat. EU ranged groups consistently tore apart their NA counterparts. It is not a question of higher individual skill as such, simply that there are more good EU players who have been playing longer.
Cav standard on NA was much lower than EU. Having learned to lance from Oberyn and Assarhaddon in the early days of EU, it was 6 months or so before any NA cav posed a serious threat, and a gain only a handful of players.
I do not necessarily think that it is the case that EU is a more developed meta-game. This would not explain the differing paths the communities have taken. EU never saw throwing dominance the way NA did, nor did it go through a phase of full str builds. I think it is rather a difference in gaming mentality between a community that is largely made up of players from the same country and a community of players from all over Europe. There will inevitably be some kinds of correlation, and on the EU you are constantly being tested by different and varied playstyles of all skill levels. On NA it just seems more homogeneous.
I do not consider any of this as gospel. Just my 2p, for what its worth.
Also, ManOfWar could go toe to toe with anybody in EU very comfortably (With the possible exception of Chimp. NA, think crymoar with a katana.)
