Build-wise, what's rare in the AL?

[CapnZapp]

Damage resistance to everything except psychic effectively means "double hit points"

Since hit points, rather than say AC, determines your "level" (or challenge rating) this is simply too good to pass up, regardless of how you prioritize the three pillars of play.

 

[RCanine]

I'm not convinced that asking for optimization advice in the Adventurers League forum is going to go well for you.

This thread is pretty much the opposite of asking for optimization advice. Thanks for your contribution though.

2. Dragonborn are getting pretty rare these days.

huh... now that you mention it, I've only seen one dragonborn at the very launch of 5e, and haven't seen another since.

One of my encounters characters was a dragonborn, Ziggrathed !rang, who was a sentinel druid with an unnerving taste for the "long pork", the other-other white meat. Maybe it's time to bring him back.

 

[Ainulindalion]

Well, a Dragonborn Druid is pretty much the opposite of optimized, that's for sure.

Let's see...

The SCAG subclasses are pretty rare from what I see around here. Other than that...

Barbarians other than Totem.
Bards in general.
Clerics other than Life, Light, and Tempest.
Land Circle Druids.
Fighters are pretty well represented.
Elemental Monks.
Devotion Paladins.
Thief Rogues.
BM Ranger (though there is one guy, every season)
Wild Sorcerers.
Non-fiend Warlocks.
Wizards that aren't evokers, abjurers, or diviners.

Races:
EEPC races are rare. Never seen a Duergar. Only seen a couple drow.
Half Orcs, Gnomes, Dragonborn are all pretty rare. Non-variant humans. High Elves aren't common, but they aren't rare, either.

 

[kalani]

I must be an incredible rarity at your store then - as I am playing a Forest Gnome Trickery Cleric/Transmuter

 

[Eltab]

I haven't met any DPR King candidates at an AL table.

I have met lots of flavorful fun characters, usually medium-to-low optimized. (Gnome Wiz3 steps up to face the Charm monster.)
At least one "I am a problem-solving toolbox" became the hero of a sticky situation.

I personally am a Monk3/Rogue1 but I spent Winter Fantasy "playing Ranger": +1 longbow vs ghost-y undead.

One Bard must have had the "I cannot tell the truth to save my soul" character trait, since he was a member of three different factions, depending on who asked and when.

 

[DocSharpe]

Bards were scarce until Season 3, when suddenly there were gaggles of Level 5 bards fighting over the bard instrument.

If you had asked this six months ago, I would have said wizards or any sort. I see more now, but not a lot. And what I do see is usually a multiclass, where they've gone just far enough to get the wizard school (usually Divination when it's a level dip).

 

[Coredump]

I must be an incredible rarity at your store then - as I am playing a Forest Gnome Trickery Cleric/Transmuter

I know about a lot of your PCs....you would be a rarity at most stores.....

 

[Tyranthraxus]

Locally? We have 0 Paladins, 1 Wizard, a lot of Assassins (Quite a few rogues but all Assassins) and 1 or 2 Clerics. Its quite common nowadays for my games to have multiple wild mages at the table.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

So far, same here. Even my friend that was talking about playing a battlerager went with bear totem when it came time to pick.

Personally, I like the wolf totem. On paper, anyway - have yet to play a barbarian in this edition.

I've actually never seen any totem barb that didn't pick bear at level 3. It's usually the strongest option at that level, and hence the most popular.

 

[Ainulindalion]

I actually saw an Elk totem barbarian the other day.