Top Fandom Team-Ups
“Come for Singles. Stay for Teams” - such has been the unspoken mantra for many a player through the years. Most players started exclusively in Singles, and only joined Teams when the right time came. Once they had a taste, however, the trivia experience becomes virtually unimaginable without it. This is hardly surprising - Teams are able to collaborate together, pool knowledge together and share glory together, amongst other fun things. It is with that fun spirit in mind that this list - Top 10 Best Team-Ups of all time (Melee & Fandom) - is created.
Now for disclaimers: This is not a ranking of the greatest teams of all time by pure achievements. The assessment criteria is team cohesion - how well balanced the team is, how much the teammates complement each other, etc. After all, before everything else, teammates should help cover each other’s weaknesses. Greatness is helpful, but not compulsory.
#6. Book of Morbin - Adelaide Spence & Igor Kasic (Fandom)
The best old guard/rookie team-up we have ever seen. Igor had jumped head-first into Fandom all guns blazing, losing in sudden death in a debut match he would’ve won had he been more experienced. Spence on the other hand has experienced everything Whenever they played together, one could tell Igor’s confidence growing each match, while Spence gets a chance to show they are still capable of. They were, in effect, the perfect partners for each other at that time.
#5. License To Chill - Tyler Beutler & Mark Menchaca (Fandom)
One will be hard-pressed to find two players equally capable of miracle pulls as well as mindboggling misses as Tyler and Mark individually. When they are teamed together, that effect is multiplied as somehow they filled in each other’s gaps very well. When one examines their record - wins against Manhattan and G&S, going the distance against Ren and Dum-Es. It is simply a fact that they were one of the best, if less glamorous, teams of their era.
#4. The Demigod Complex - Adelaide Spence & Alex Martinez (Fandom)
Spence once again makes an appearance on this list. It is actually quite remarkable (and in hindsight, unsurprising) how similar this team is to Book of Morbin in concept. The only differences are that Alex and Spence covered ever slightly more ground, and that they were slightly more successful. Their early disbandment will always be a big “what if?” in this community.
#3: Anyone Can Cook - Jack Pinchuk & Matthew Chen (Fandom)
This was the right team at the right time for both Jack and Matthew. Matthew dipping his toes for the first time in Fandom and Jack returning after a long layoff. With every match, you could tell a study plan was in place and they would get stronger, tackling blindspots together and solidifying strengths. This culminated in one of the most underrated matches in Fandom against Wookiee Mistake, as well as a stellar second year. They might be on different teams now, but while Anyone Can Cook may not be their final destination, it’s clear both Jack and Matthew have grown so much from the experience.
#2: America’s Asses - Jacoby Bancroft & Brian Michaels (Fandom)
It is actually insane this team made it to a Contender’s match despite how many big, glaring holes they supposedly have in their knowledge. Jacoby knows his stuff, has great intuition, fantastic logical deduction skills and probably knows black magic given how lucky he can be. Brian has seen pretty much everything under the sun. Combine those 2 together, they can answer a lot of questions, and the ones they don’t, they somehow logick their way to the right answer. What a team.
Honorable Mentions, in no particular order
Young Justice - Cameron Holzmann & Javi Madan (Fandom)
These are two players who know what level they want to be at for Fandom, and Young Justice is exactly that. Also helps that they work well together.
Back To Formula - Jake Maringoni & Mark Menchaca (Fandom)
This team works super well together and they have a really good combined knowledge base. Only reason they didn’t make it on is an unfortunate negative record.
#1: Guns & Ships - Albert Wiradharma & Caleb Boatman (Fandom)
To paraphrase Lil’ Boat himself: He and Albert do not just know all the categories well together, but in the categories they aren’t confident in individually, they know very different things that, when put together, somehow covers the category perfectly. Also, consider this: the Kingsmen are memeworthy with how many teams they break up every year to form new ones. In that kind of environment, Guns & Ships lasted 3 whole years, more than any other Kingsmen team in Melee or Fandom. If that’s not an indication on how perfect a match they are, nothing is.