How cant you get 1 champion?

There is one guranteed within 4 tiles of starting spot, it is guranteed to be less than 150 gildar and one starts with 150 gildar. Only way would be to waste that 150 for rushing.

Then you not getting 1 champion was your choice. The first champion is normally recruited in turn 1 or 2, no chance for the AI to get him.

I doubt it would ever be worth to skip getting the 1st champion on turn 1 or 2,because even if he has exactly the same magic skills as sovereign and no research and gildar bonus, his fighting power alone is worth the 100 gildar, because it doubles the military strength, allowing to clear more creeps and pump out mroe pioneers. And if he has a missing magic skill, allowing to boost city (e.g. earth for more production, life for more growth, death for free unrest reduction) or reserch/gildar per turn, the return of investment could be about 10% per turn on top of doubling fighting power, which is beyond anthing achievable by rushing.

Well, this is the sort of complaint that will mean that Legendary Heroes will be right for you.

I actually HATE the idea of that in LH and may not get it because of that. Even though I didn't get 1 in this game I certainly like exploring for them instead of them being handed to me on a silver platter. That's the WORST idea they've had imho. Why screw the fun of exploration up like that?

You'd never make a good detective then, better keep your burger king job.