A non-swarm Beastmaster still will have some creatures in it. These generally will be level 2-4. I've seen Grizzly spam (Ring of Beasts, a Steelclaw Grizzly every other turn, with mana generators or low mana cost items... enchantments, leather armor pieces, etc.), which isn't bad. Alternately, you can have Redclaw and a few Timberwolves, for example.
There also are a number of level one creatures that you could take a 2-3 each, but only cast them as needed to use in conjunction with multiple copies of Animal Kinship. The idea there is to cast a small animal and a copy of Animal Kinship three times in the first four turns to get +3 melee, +3 armor and tough -6 (for a small canine, reptile, and bear). You really need Academy to do this, though. Then, if there is a turn when he needs to be elusive, for example, he can quickcast a fox and then attack, bypassing guards.
Note that if he is playing the Straywood Beastmaster, he is giving up quick casting level one creatures, if there are none in his book.
