[Sunshine]

If you are the number one seed why even ask others their intent before hand? Your number one goal is to pick the best alliance for your team......... It only seems logical to always pick teams that are best for your chances to win.

If you pick the team that is best for your alliance makeup, you are always doing the right thing.

It makes no sense to pick a team that would hurt your chances only to break up another possible alliance. If they say yes, you just hurt your chances. If they told you prior to the picking that they did not want to be with you, you have achieved nothing by asking them if you already decided that they would help your cause. You should pick them anyways. Their opinion of the best alliance is for them and is not necessarily in your best interests.

Pick the teams that are best for you and if you breakup possible agreed upon alliances along the way, so be it.

IMHO, never pick a team that you really do not want to be with you in an attempt to breakup that alliance. It can also backfire on you. What if they say yes? Are you going to be mad at them because they changed their mind and rethought their options after you put them in a possible bad situation?

It makes no sense to me to ask before hand if you have done your homework and the scouting team has a plan. Go with your plan and the strengths that the scouting team has put together. It's always the best that you can do.