I'm going to start by saying that I'm mostly a solo-queuer, so there's definitely bias, but I feel that beastmoon was never designed with pre-built teams in mind, and as teams evolve, beastmoon is losing what made it so fun in the first place. I've noticed a trend over the last few events, which has been more and more teams, with these teams being more and more coordinated. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to find myself dreading beastmoon as a result. Something that's always made beastmoon fun for me was variation. Variation in your team, your hand, and in your opponent. You never know what cards are going to be drawn and as a result, you always have to plan for worst, and best case scenarios for both you and your opponent. There's always been one way to mitigate your own variation, which is to level your form, and I will admit fully to doing this, but this still leaves so much more up to chance because it does not effect your teammates' cards. With teams, not only can you reliably have six people with maxed out forms, but it also allows you to control matchups, which is something that concerns me greatly for the future of this event. What made matchups worth playing was the variation. No matter how poor a matchup is, there was always the chance that either your opponent was incompetent, or would have terrible draw luck. When going against a team however, you know that your opponent knows what they're doing, and you know they probably have a decent level, and any bad draw luck will \not last long enough to save you. Now obviously, you don't want to get in bad matchups, but this is written from the perspective of a solo queuer, and as a solo queuer, sometimes all you can do is join a losing battle your team started. Point is, these losing battles used to have at least some hope to them, now they just feel pointless and irritating. It's still possible to win battles in the solo queue, and I still get winning records most days, but I don't know how long that will last. With each event, more forms get their tiers raised, and more people go into teams. As it is, there's nothing stopping the formation of well coordinated teams that are simply unbeatable from the solo queue. Maybe I'm just salty, and I'm kind of rambling. Personally, I would like to suggest limiting the levels of forms when you enter a group. Keep some variation in place for teams, while granting people in the solo queue something to counterbalance the coordination that comes with teams. Maybe I'm just salty, sorry for rambling.
So Beastmoon was very much designed with Teams in mind. It's part of their whole entire socialization focus. Also keep in mind that I believe the queue tries to match teams with teams before adding in random people if it can. (I assume it uses a similar system to the PVP matchmaking queue, but that's speculation at this point.)
The key to Beastmoon whether you are playing with a team or with random players is communication. If you don't communicate and all do your own random thing-you will lose plain and simple. You can win with random players if your team communicates (but you'll be hard pressed to find a bunch of people that are willing to do that). So that's why I think that people have migrated to teams because then they know they have a group that will communicate.
As far as players using the same forms/that are upgraded that's kind of a two edged sword. Experienced players will know to maybe avoid challenging these players especially if their form is low level. More importantly regardless of experience level is using your knowledge of boosts to your advantage! Is the entire enemy team nothing but Storm Beastmoon forms as far as the eye can see? Then even though you love to play Fire Elf, switch to an Ice Form. Not only do you get the 25 extra damage per pip but your spells often have conditions that put you to an advantage (remove blades from enemy, or stun shields for example). This can often put a damper on the opponent.
It's possible to go from losing to win just by holding and winning one ring repeatedly, it's just if a single person on your team decides to go off randomly and do their own thing you're going to lose.
Moral of the story: Team play is designed for and ACTIVELY encouraged for Beastmoon whether you are with a pre-formed team or on a random team. The one that loses is 95% the team that didn't communicate as effectively. So while you can play solo (I like to do that sometimes) just remember you still have to work with the team you get or you likely won't win. Communication is key.
If there was a level cap to group making then there would be a major disadvantage to play as a group then solo queue, and for the many of us who tier forms to five or level would of wasted many much many, many lunari and time. This is a team based game and has been implemented since the start of beastmoon, to coordinating with the players to win. While, yes, solo queue can be a mixed bag doesn't mean that groups have difficult with random teams.
If solo queue ain't working out try getting into a beastmoon group and tier up forms.
Unfortunately, lots of people only have enough lunari to upgrade one beast. When they don't get this beast, they play half heartedly or often times just leave. I play at least a few matches everyday, and someone often leaves becayse they can't get "their" form. I don't understand why we con't win more lunari or why KI is so stingy about it. I know we need to participate to earn it, that isn't the problem, but I play a fair amount and it is hard to upgrade beasts. You just can't. Not with the lunari you can't get.
So the reasoning is to play in a group with people whom you learn their style of play So be aware that your friend may have no clue how to play a form.
I have every form unlocked, form is tier 5 but if you have one guy without a clue you can lose a fight easy.
And Lunari is just how you play. The more points you get, the more you make.
Yet people who come in and solo and lose fights because of point greed is not good.
First rule in beastmoon has ALWAYS been, do not solo anything stay with a partner.
