Climbing wall holds - beginner

Hey all,
I am building an 8x8 climbing wall in my basement to work on strengthening and technique.  It is going to be set at 30 degrees with about a 12 inch kick plate as well as an additional 1.5 ft vertical at the top.  I am thinking of going with 72 holes per sheet (8 inch spacing), but am having a hard time deciding on which holds to start with.  Heres what I'm considering:
1) Metolius mega pack (50 or 60)
Almost every site I can find online seems to mention the metolius mega packs. However,  I've also read that these holds aren't great for anything greater than 10 degrees (would end up not being able to use a number of the holds?). Also don't like the fact that they seem to break easily if torqued to much.  They are locally available though which is a plus.
2) Atomik 60 pack.
Looks like less variety than the mega pack, but seem to have better reviews and may be better for a 30 degree wall?? Also, seems a little pricey..$340 with taxes and shipping 
3) So ill 55 pack
A lot folks seem to like these but I'm afraid they are better suited for more advanced climbers due to smaller holds.
4) Rocky mountain holds
For the price I figured I may get some of these to mix in.

Can anyone offer any suggestions to get going with? Or any to avoid?  
Thanks!!

Maybe you could try making your own. I have climbed on metolious holds though, and they're ok.

Yeah I thought about maybe making some, but figure it'd be better to buy some to at least get going
Thanks

Contact Escape Climbing, tell them what you're looking for and see what they have in their cosmetic seconds bins.  Their seconds are really nice and very affordable.  

My favorite holds on my home wall have been so Ill, atomik, and element climbing.  Nothing against the other companies, I just don’t have any of their stuff. One option is to go to a local climbing gym to get an idea of some brands and specific holds that you like (a lot of gyms have holds from many or all of those companies you listed).

Why the 1.5’ vertical at the top? In my experiences it’s been nicer to have one big surface without any angle changes than to have any sort of features or shapes on the wall. It seems counterintuitive, but a big flat wall gives you more options in the long run. After a while any angle change starts to feel like you are forced to do a similar move every time you get to that spot. With a flat wall you can always add a volume or something to switch things up then move it later. But that’s just my opinion! Have fun, that sounds like a great project!

Check out Synrock here for relatively cheap holds.  They ship fast and are pretty good for the price.

Edited to add: Decoy Holds is another great company.  The price to quality ratio is huge.  Amazing shapes

Stan McKnight wrote: My favorite holds on my home wall have been so Ill, atomik, and element climbing.  Nothing against the other companies, I just don’t have any of their stuff. One option is to go to a local climbing gym to get an idea of some brands and specific holds that you like (a lot of gyms have holds from many or all of those companies you listed).

Why the 1.5’ vertical at the top? In my experiences it’s been nicer to have one big surface without any angle changes than to have any sort of features or shapes on the wall. It seems counterintuitive, but a big flat wall gives you more options in the long run. After a while any angle change starts to feel like you are forced to do a similar move every time you get to that spot. With a flat wall you can always add a volume or something to switch things up then move it later. But that’s just my opinion! Have fun, that sounds like a great project!

Thanks for the advice for the top! Yeah, it's basically due to room (plumbing) I have to attach at the ceiling.  I may be able to get creative to get around it as it is only at one side. I was also thinking of building an anchor setup at top to work on building anchor/rope work (maybe work on ascending techniques, different knots), but I suppose it doesn't have to be vertical for that 

I have a mix of metolious and so ill on my wall. They work well and serve their purpose. Im looking to add more holds to change it up. I also did 8in spacing and it works well.

Synrock has some cool unique stuff.  But after building a significant sized wall I ended up buying as many used holds as possible....The price adds up quick.  Plus variety that comes with a mixed batch makes for more interesting climbing

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger on the metolius mega pack. Looking at what's included I'm afraid that j won't be able to use a lot of the holds due to my skill level and wall angle. Think I'm gonna need a larger percentage of more positive holds to get started. I'm going to look into synrock as well as contact escape regarding factory seconds.

Check eBay 

Did you check out the Metolious website? Thats where i bought a bunch of my holds from. You can pick the sizes and packages you want. They have all sorts of holds and sizes. I have both sets of the all american and blue ribbon modular jugs on my wall. They are super positive holds and work well on an overhang. I bought a few bags of their chips to fill up the bottom of my wall. 

Kevin Cottle wrote: Did you check out the Metolious website? Thats where i bought a bunch of my holds from. You can pick the sizes and packages you want. They have all sorts of holds and sizes. I have both sets of the all american and blue ribbon modular jugs on my wall. They are super positive holds and work well on an overhang. I bought a few bags of their chips to fill up the bottom of my wall. 

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll look into those. 

Keep an eye at Sierra trading post also.  I got a bunch of different metolious holds from them at a discount.  Not always there but they had them for awhile.

Brad, I have some Atomik holds for sale if you're interested. Here's a link to my original post: https://www.mountainproject.com/forum/topic/116692238/fs-climbing-holds-t-nuts-my-woody