Teaching New Player

All the abouve please

My advice:

Game/Week 1: BattleGroup Only

Kreoss1
Crusader
Repenter
Revenger

Focus should be on learning what the stats mean, how to make attacks/figure out damage, and how to use focus. No scenario, no terrain, no feat.

If they pick this up and want to try a bit more complexity, run again but add terrain (forests and rough terrain mostly, maybe walls) and allow feats.

Week 2
Go to 15 pts

Kreoss1
Crusader
Revenger
Repenter
Knights Exemplar
Vassal Mechaniks x2 (or Wracks)
min Choir

Focus should be on learning how units/solos work. While Deliverers are a tempting unit, KE are simpler to grasp and a generally more rewarding unit to use, especially when most opposing models will be warjacks.

Week 3
I would favor bumping only to 25, not 35 pts. However, if they want 35 points, go there.

25 pts
Kreoss1
Crusader
Revenger
Repenter
min Choir
KE + UA
Vassal Mechanik x2
Allegiant of the Order of the Fist x2

Focus here should be scenario play (have a scenario that includes flags to allow punch monks to shine), showing the importance of solos, and the usefulness of unit attachments. Punch Monks chosen simply because I have never met a person who doesn't adore having such an annoying model to work with.

35 pts
Kreoss1
Crusader
Revenger
Repenter
Tristan1
Redeemer
max Choir
Mechanik x1
KE + UA

Focus here is instead to show the usefulness of a Jr. Warcaster and unit attachments, and highlight synergy (getting them to attempt a Pop & Drop should be the goal lesson here, but DO NOT tell them "hey, do this". They should come to the idea on their own if at all possible).

For overall tips:
-Handicap yourself. Purposefully make poor decisions (going into threat range of a heavy, "forgetting" to feat, etc) to help them have successes in the game, but not so many that you're simply handing them a win. Allow the person learning to make mistakes (typical one I see is playing overly cautious, when the game rewards aggression), but don't try to blow them out of the water, and IMMEDIATELY AFTER they have seen the consequences of their mistake, talk about why they decided to do that, and what they could have done instead (you want to do talk immediately, rather than after the game, so it doesn't get buried in all the details of the game).

-Introduce new things slowly. This game is complex, with a ton of stuff to remember, and it's very easy to get overwhelmed. So both the training Menoth lists, and your "evil opponent" lists, should use the same models game-to-game if at all possible to minimize new things to learn.

-If they come from a CCG background (Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, etc), emphasize the synergies in the lists. All CCGs tend to reward the interaction between cards in a deck, so showing how there are similar interactions in Warmachine will both provide something familiar, and provide a connection of "you know that thing you like? Well, this has a bunch of similar stuff!"

Once the newer player starts using the choir, I would recommend that they get into the habit of figuring out a hymn and applying it early in the turn.

Get them in a good habit of thinking about choir and using them early. That’ll make order of activations a little easier or less complicated.

100% agree.  I'm very new to this game and activation order has been the hardest thing to get down.

I really like the idea of battlebox matches rather than something like a simple boxing match. Teaching someone the basic mechanics of the game in a way they can understand early on is important. The jacks should be pretty plain and the caster pretty straight forward. I tend to play 3 battlebox matches with them the first time they want to try and play. The first game, I give them a little le-away and purposely give them openings just so they can get used to taking advantage of them (they usually win, in other words). The second game I play my hardest and grind them into the dirt... it's part of the game so getting them used to that sort of frustration is important. The 3rd game then becomes a rather relaxed game as they start to take advantage of all the things I taught them in the slugfest and I just play normal. This teaches them the basics of the game and what to expect, as well as the satisfaction of winning, losing, and having a great game. Only after they get down the basics and how to use their caster do I actually start letting them play with infantry, as infantry mechanics adds SOO much complexity, both in rules and in game play. Doing this right before a journeyman league is about to start is a great way to welcome a player to the game and has a much higher player retention rate, as they never have to deal with the 30min-1h turns that newer players who attempt a 75pt list usually end up doing.