There are compositions that excel and have become popular in wars; however, it's always dependent on the base you're attacking—tower levels & placement, wall structure, cc troops, etc. etc.
In the current meta of base design, on maxed th9's with poor wall/hero levels, I see GoWi flavored attacks with backend loons/hogs 3* just as efficiently as a GoLaLoon or GoHo variants, maybe even more so due to the larger compartments allowing Golem's to remain up front to tank. I'm not saying spamming a line of tanks/ranged units is a 3* strategy, but I am saying a well executed attack, catered to a design with the intent of 100%-ing is a 3* strategy regardless.
I find when a TH9 has higher level hero's and walls to be when the commonly referred to "3-star strategies" have greater effect.
Attacking and defending is ever evolving, as updates progress and new strategies emerge, base design adapts in kind. Old strategies become more effective in some cases due to the designer targeting the newest meta trends and ignoring attacks that are now less common.
The concept of "[insert number]-star" compositions/strategies is quickly becoming a blurred line. I watch clans use only "3* strategies" and one star from top to bottom on first round attacks. Likewise I see players use GoWiWi and 3* with ease. There are strategies that are practiced and honed, thus executed well enough to 3* if the layout isn't defending it specifically... and ...there are strategies that are rushed, unpracticed, and/or poorly executed.
Where the "[insert number]-star" has some truth...
* you're not going to barch a 3* laterally (at TH9 at least)
* some attacks are only attempting a 2* and/or probing for traps
* insert whatever reason you can muster...
...the concept, at least to me, is becoming more and more moot.
