diff --git a/client/assets/styles/styles.less b/client/assets/styles/styles.less
index fbe20c70..5b607603 100644
--- a/client/assets/styles/styles.less
+++ b/client/assets/styles/styles.less
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ nav h2 {
 
 nav hr {
     margin: 1em 0;
-    border-color: whitesmoke;
+    border-color: #444;
 }
 
 nav button {
@@ -120,12 +120,12 @@ nav button.active {
 }
 
 nav button[disabled], nav button[disabled]:hover {
-    color: #333333;
+    color: #333;
     text-decoration: none;
 }
 
 nav button:hover {
-    color: #888;
+    color: whitesmoke;
     text-decoration: underline;
 }
 
diff --git a/client/src/actions.jsx b/client/src/actions.jsx
index 96ba0ef5..d47e552f 100644
--- a/client/src/actions.jsx
+++ b/client/src/actions.jsx
@@ -31,9 +31,11 @@ export const setShowLog = value => ({ type: 'SET_SHOW_LOG', value });
 export const setShowNav = value => ({ type: 'SET_SHOW_NAV', value });
 export const setSkip = value => ({ type: 'SET_SKIP', value });
 export const setShop = value => ({ type: 'SET_SHOP', value });
-export const setTeam = value => ({ type: 'SET_SELECTED_CONSTRUCTS', value: Array.from(value) });
-export const setVboxHighlight = value => ({ type: 'SET_VBOX_HIGHLIGHT', value });
 
+export const setTeam = value => ({ type: 'SET_TEAM', value: Array.from(value) });
+export const setTeamSelect = value => ({ type: 'SET_TEAM_SELECT', value: Array.from(value) });
+
+export const setVboxHighlight = value => ({ type: 'SET_VBOX_HIGHLIGHT', value });
 export const setVboxSelected = value => ({ type: 'SET_VBOX_SELECTED', value });
 
 export const setWs = value => ({ type: 'SET_WS', value });
diff --git a/client/src/components/team.footer.jsx b/client/src/components/team.footer.jsx
index 7b28dd9e..db3bb077 100644
--- a/client/src/components/team.footer.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/team.footer.jsx
@@ -5,26 +5,29 @@ const actions = require('./../actions');
 
 const addState = connect(
     function receiveState(state) {
-        const { team, showNav } = state;
+        const {
+            teamSelect,
+            showNav,
+            ws,
+        } = state;
+
+        function sendAccountSetTeam() {
+            return ws.sendAccountSetTeam(teamSelect);
+        }
 
         return {
-            team,
+            sendAccountSetTeam,
+            teamSelect,
             showNav,
         };
     },
     function receiveDispatch(dispatch) {
-        function navToList() {
-            dispatch(actions.setGame(null));
-            dispatch(actions.setInstance(null));
-            return dispatch(actions.setNav('list'));
-        }
 
         function setShowNav(v) {
             return dispatch(actions.setShowNav(v));
         }
 
         return {
-            navToList,
             setShowNav,
         };
     }
@@ -33,20 +36,18 @@ const addState = connect(
 function TeamFooter(args) {
     const {
         showNav,
-        team,
-        navToList,
+        teamSelect,
+        sendAccountSetTeam,
         setShowNav,
     } = args;
 
-    if (!team) return false;
-
     return (
         <footer>
             <button id="nav-btn" onClick={() => setShowNav(!showNav)} >☰</button>
             <button
-                disabled={team.some(c => !c)}
-                onClick={() => navToList()}>
-                Confirm
+                disabled={teamSelect.some(c => !c)}
+                onClick={sendAccountSetTeam}>
+                Set Team
             </button>
         </footer>
     );
diff --git a/client/src/components/team.jsx b/client/src/components/team.jsx
index 749aebac..fa44db67 100644
--- a/client/src/components/team.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/team.jsx
@@ -8,11 +8,9 @@ const { stringSort } = require('./../utils');
 const SpawnButton = require('./spawn.button');
 const { ConstructAvatar } = require('./construct');
 
-const idSort = stringSort('id');
-
 const addState = connect(
     function receiveState(state) {
-        const { ws, constructs, team } = state;
+        const { ws, constructs, teamSelect } = state;
 
         function sendConstructSpawn(name) {
             return ws.sendMtxConstructSpawn(name);
@@ -20,27 +18,26 @@ const addState = connect(
 
         return {
             constructs,
-            team,
+            teamSelect,
             sendConstructSpawn,
         };
     },
-
     function receiveDispatch(dispatch) {
         function setTeam(constructIds) {
-            localStorage.setItem('team', JSON.stringify(constructIds));
-            dispatch(actions.setTeam(constructIds));
+            dispatch(actions.setTeamSelect(constructIds));
         }
 
         return {
             setTeam,
         };
     }
+
 );
 
 function Team(args) {
     const {
         constructs,
-        team,
+        teamSelect,
         setTeam,
         sendConstructSpawn,
     } = args;
@@ -51,27 +48,25 @@ function Team(args) {
     // so much for dumb components
     function selectConstruct(id) {
         // remove
-        const i = team.findIndex(sid => sid === id);
+        const i = teamSelect.findIndex(sid => sid === id);
         if (i > -1) {
-            team[i] = null;
-            return setTeam(team);
+            teamSelect[i] = null;
+            return setTeam(teamSelect);
         }
 
         // window insert
-        const insert = team.findIndex(j => j === null);
+        const insert = teamSelect.findIndex(j => j === null);
         if (insert === -1) return setTeam([id, null, null]);
-        team[insert] = id;
-        return setTeam(team);
+        teamSelect[insert] = id;
+        return setTeam(teamSelect);
     }
 
     const constructPanels = constructs.map(construct => {
-        const colour = team.indexOf(construct.id);
+        const colour = teamSelect.indexOf(construct.id);
         const selected = colour > -1;
 
         const borderColour = selected ? COLOURS[colour] : '#000000';
 
-
-        // <button disabled={true} >↻</button>
         return (
             <div
                 key={construct.id}
diff --git a/client/src/reducers.jsx b/client/src/reducers.jsx
index 1a967c79..08743393 100644
--- a/client/src/reducers.jsx
+++ b/client/src/reducers.jsx
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ module.exports = {
     resolution:         createReducer(null, 'SET_RESOLUTION'),
     skip:               createReducer(false, 'SET_SKIP'),
     shop:               createReducer(false, 'SET_SHOP'),
-    team:               createReducer([null, null, null], 'SET_SELECTED_CONSTRUCTS'),
+
+    team:               createReducer([], 'SET_TEAM'),
+    teamSelect:         createReducer([null, null, null], 'SET_TEAM_SELECT'),
 
     vboxHighlight:      createReducer([], 'SET_VBOX_HIGHLIGHT'),
     vboxSelected:       createReducer([], 'SET_VBOX_SELECTED'),
diff --git a/client/src/socket.jsx b/client/src/socket.jsx
index 39d7df3a..eed3385d 100644
--- a/client/src/socket.jsx
+++ b/client/src/socket.jsx
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ function createSocket(events) {
     //   Outgoing
     // -------------
     function send(msg) {
-        // if (msg[0] !== 'Ping') console.log('outgoing msg', msg);
+        if (msg[0] !== 'Ping') console.log('outgoing msg', msg);
         ws.send(cbor.encode(msg));
     }
 
@@ -46,6 +46,10 @@ function createSocket(events) {
         send(['AccountInstances', {}]);
     }
 
+    function sendAccountSetTeam(ids) {
+        send(['AccountSetTeam', { ids }]);
+    }
+
     function sendGameState(id) {
         send(['GameState', { id }]);
     }
@@ -108,6 +112,11 @@ function createSocket(events) {
         send(['InstancePractice', {}]);
     }
 
+    function sendInstanceQueue() {
+        send(['InstancePractice', {}]);
+    }
+
+
     function sendInstanceReady(instanceId) {
         send(['InstanceReady', { instance_id: instanceId }]);
     }
@@ -184,6 +193,7 @@ function createSocket(events) {
         InstanceState: onInstanceState,
         ItemInfo: onItemInfo,
         Pong: onPong,
+        Error: errHandler,
     };
 
     function logout() {
@@ -208,7 +218,6 @@ function createSocket(events) {
         // decode binary msg from server
         const blob = new Uint8Array(event.data);
         const res = cbor.decode(blob);
-        if (res.err) return errHandler(res.err);
 
         const [msgType, params] = res;
         if (msgType !== 'Pong') console.log(res);
@@ -268,6 +277,7 @@ function createSocket(events) {
     return {
         sendAccountConstructs,
         sendAccountInstances,
+        sendAccountSetTeam,
 
         sendGameState,
         sendGameReady,
@@ -276,6 +286,7 @@ function createSocket(events) {
 
         sendInstanceReady,
         sendInstancePractice,
+        sendInstanceQueue,
         sendInstanceState,
 
         sendVboxAccept,
diff --git a/ops/migrations/20180916221309_constructs_table.js b/ops/migrations/20180916221309_constructs_table.js
index 636ea843..29ad1241 100755
--- a/ops/migrations/20180916221309_constructs_table.js
+++ b/ops/migrations/20180916221309_constructs_table.js
@@ -1,18 +1,56 @@
+const team_size_trigger = `
+CREATE OR REPLACE FUNCTION enforce_team_size() RETURNS trigger AS $$
+DECLARE
+    team_size INTEGER := 3;
+    team_count INTEGER := 0;
+BEGIN
+    IF (TG_OP = 'UPDATE' OR TG_OP = 'INSERT') THEN
+        SELECT INTO team_count COUNT(id)
+        FROM constructs
+        WHERE account = NEW.account
+        AND team = true;
+    ELSIF (TG_OP = 'DELETE') THEN
+        SELECT INTO team_count COUNT(id)
+        FROM constructs
+        WHERE account = OLD.account
+        AND team = true;
+    END IF;
+
+    IF team_count != team_size THEN
+        RAISE EXCEPTION 'You must have exactly % constructs in your team.', team_size;
+    END IF;
+
+    RETURN NEW;
+END;
+$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql;
+
+CREATE CONSTRAINT TRIGGER check_team_size
+    AFTER INSERT OR UPDATE OR DELETE
+    ON constructs
+    DEFERRABLE INITIALLY DEFERRED
+    FOR EACH ROW
+    EXECUTE PROCEDURE enforce_team_size();
+`;
+
 exports.up = async knex => {
-    return knex.schema.createTable('constructs', table => {
+    await knex.schema.createTable('constructs', table => {
         table.uuid('id').primary();
         table.timestamps(true, true);
         table.uuid('account').notNullable()
         table.foreign('account')
-          .references('id')
-          .inTable('accounts')
-          .onDelete('CASCADE');
+            .references('id')
+            .inTable('accounts')
+            .onDelete('CASCADE');
         table.binary('data').notNullable();
 
         table.boolean('team')
-          .notNullable()
-          .defaultTo(false);
+            .notNullable()
+            .defaultTo(false);
     });
+
+    await knex.raw(team_size_trigger);
+
+    return true;
 };
 
-exports.down = async () => {};
\ No newline at end of file
+exports.down = async () => {};
diff --git a/server/src/account.rs b/server/src/account.rs
index a42a3974..cb1f74b9 100644
--- a/server/src/account.rs
+++ b/server/src/account.rs
@@ -175,12 +175,12 @@ pub fn debit(tx: &mut Transaction, id: Uuid, debit: i64) -> Result<Account, Erro
     ";
 
     let result = tx
-        .query(query, &[&debit, &id])?;
+        .query(query, &[&debit, &id])
+        .or(Err(err_msg("insufficient balance")))?;
 
     let row = result.iter().next()
         .ok_or(format_err!("account not found {:?}", id))?;
 
-
     let name: String = row.get(1);
     let db_balance: i64 = row.get(2);
     let balance = u32::try_from(db_balance)
@@ -301,8 +301,7 @@ pub fn account_team(tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vec<Const
         SELECT data
         FROM constructs
         WHERE account = $1
-        AND team = true
-        LIMIT 3;
+        AND team = true;
     ";
 
     let result = tx
@@ -325,39 +324,32 @@ pub fn account_team(tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account) -> Result<Vec<Const
     }
 
     let mut constructs = constructs.unwrap();
+
+    if constructs.len() != 3 {
+        return Err(format_err!("team not size 3 account={:?}", account));
+    }
+
     constructs.sort_by_key(|c| c.id);
+
     return Ok(constructs);
 }
 
-pub fn account_set_team(tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account, ids: Vec<Uuid>) -> Result<Vec<Construct>, Error> {
+// there is a trigger constraint on the table that enforces
+// exactly 3 constructs in a team
+pub fn set_team(tx: &mut Transaction, account: &Account, ids: Vec<Uuid>) -> Result<Vec<Construct>, Error> {
     let query = "
         UPDATE constructs
-        SET team = false
+        SET team =
+            CASE
+                WHEN id = ANY($2) THEN true
+                ELSE false
+            END
         WHERE account = $1;
     ";
 
-    let updated = tx
+    let _updated = tx
         .execute(query, &[&account.id, &ids])?;
 
-    if updated > 3 {
-        warn!("team members >3 account={:?} count={:?}", account, updated);
-    }
-
-    let query = "
-        UPDATE constructs
-        SET team = true
-        WHERE account = $1
-        AND id in $2
-        RETURNING data;
-    ";
-
-    let updated = tx
-        .execute(query, &[&account.id, &ids])?;
-
-    if updated != 3 {
-        return Err(format_err!("could not create team of 3 account={:?} updated={:?}", account, updated));
-    }
-
     account_team(tx, account)
 }
 
diff --git a/server/src/rpc.rs b/server/src/rpc.rs
index 286e0dbe..898e53fb 100644
--- a/server/src/rpc.rs
+++ b/server/src/rpc.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use uuid::Uuid;
 use failure::Error;
 use failure::err_msg;
 
+use account;
 use pg::{Db};
 use construct::{Construct};
 use game::{Game, game_state, game_skill, game_ready};
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ enum RpcRequest {
     AccountState {},
     AccountShop {},
     AccountConstructs {},
+    AccountSetTeam { ids: Vec<Uuid> },
 
     InstancePvp {},
     InstancePractice {},
@@ -100,11 +102,12 @@ pub fn receive(data: Vec<u8>, db: &Db, begin: Instant, account: &Option<Account>
                 RpcRequest::AccountConstructs {} =>
                     Ok(RpcMessage::AccountConstructs(account_constructs(&mut tx, &account)?)),
 
+                RpcRequest::AccountSetTeam { ids } =>
+                    Ok(RpcMessage::AccountConstructs(account::set_team(&mut tx, &account, ids)?)),
+
                 // RpcRequest::AccountShop {} =>
                 //     Ok(RpcMessage::AccountShop(mtx::account_shop(&mut tx, &account)?)),
 
-
-
                 // RpcRequest::ConstructDelete" => handle_construct_delete(data, &mut tx, account),
 
                 RpcRequest::GameState { id } =>
diff --git a/server/src/warden.rs b/server/src/warden.rs
index 38430a54..c37cf024 100644
--- a/server/src/warden.rs
+++ b/server/src/warden.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ impl Warden {
         let db = self.pool.get()?;
         let tx = db.transaction()?;
 
+        info!("received pair={:?}", pair);
+
         Ok(())
     }