If your were to use a pet for 1 player battle dome only is it best to train str and def evenly or do not even train def at all?
I have read some post that say def does not matter for 1p and others say it does matter.
Can anyone explain their answer
Yes and know. As a primarily 1-player battler who trains STR, HP, and DEF all equally, I'll tell you for sure DEF is the least useful of those 3. It requires using a weapon which blocks a set amount of icons to be helpful, and that either means a defensive weapon (which usually is a mistake in 1-player, where you can just restart the battle: It requires that they attack with the right Icons to be effective, and you could just restart if they use those weapons or use burrow/ sink. More to the point, it wastes a weapon slot which could be an offensive weapon prolonging the battle, and because 1-player has a sizeable luck component, long battles ARE NOT your friends), or a Dual-Duty, which are overpriced for 1-player because you're paying for defense (which you don't need as much) AS WELL as the offense. Basically, if a weapon blocks a "set amount of icons" what that really means is that it Blocks {that many icons}*{Your denense boost multiplier} of DAMAGE from that type of icon.
This brings us to the second point. The opponents you face in 1-player USUALLY have a much higher strength/ defense boost than you, so they're attack will usually overwhelm your defense, even if you block the right icons and your defense boost is as high as your strength boost.
So why, with all these negative aspects to defense in 1-player, do I still train defense? The answer is simple: It pays off in the long run. Strength and defense boosts max out at 700. So when I start getting up to the really high defense boosts, I'll be able to block a sizable percentage of my opponents damage. If you intend to stop training at some point, don't bother with defense, but if you plan to keep on training forever, the defense WILL pay off, and it's alot cheaper to train it "now" than "then"
everything that Obi said is correct, not much to add to it. It really depends on your goals in neopets. If you plan on hitting 700 stats someday, then train it all, if not there is really no point. It also depends on how well you are at making money. If you can save up for the 10 mil 75% reflectors, I wouldn't bother with defence.
The true argument comes down to three things: net icons (the total number of "icons" dealt/blocked in a turn, and the advantage of your net icons over your opponent's), the defensive/dual-duty weapons in the economy versus non-Defense requiring alternatives (Ghostkershield, Faerie Tabard, Mask of Coltzan, and possibly one or two others versus the full blockers and reflectors), and the time and money issue.
The time and money issue being the one that affects battlers the most heavily. I'd have to run the figures again, but I estimated that it costs 33 million and one year's worth of training to get your Defense to 700. (This is factoring the total time/money spent training all stats evenly, assuming Codestone training at the current prices, starting K-Quests at Level 100 or 120 (I don't recall which) and only using the Training School for Level at that point until Ninja training, and rejecting Zed Codestones during the first tier of Ninja training. Also assuming the player will be on Neo during a 10-hour timeframe everyday.) Even adding G-Shield, Tabard, and the other dual-duties on top of that cost, it still comes out as being a lesser cost than most of the alternative full blockers/reflectors. Said shields and dual-duties, in the proper circumstances, are also undeniably better once you hit the 700 Defense Boost. (It could be further argued that you'll end up buying some of the reflectors or full blockers anyway, but we'll ignore that in this discussion.)
I already mentioned three of the prime weapons in the economy that take advantage of defense: G-Shield, Tabard, and Mask of Coltzan. There are a few others that may be worth considering situationally, but those are the three "best" (none of the other dual-duties that I can recall match the overall potential of the Mask). The G-Shield and Tabard can single-handedly allow an infinite-win situation against several One Player Opponents. If these weapons didn't exist to take advantage of Defense, it would arguably be less worthwhile to train it. Right now, these would be the ones you'd be using down the road, assuming they don't end up retired from the Tower (which, by the time a new Pet his 700/700/700, is a very likely possibility. Assuming TNT retires any HT weapons ever again).
Net icons are the total number of icons dealt/blocked during a turn of battle, and are essential to analyze for the full potential of whether Defense is worthwhile. It's very difficult to look at this subject broadly, so it becomes more essential to look at it in relation to the shields, full-blockers, and reflectors.
G-Shield and Tabard both block a wide-array of icons, and the majority of Opponents don't lay heavy with one icon, or even if they do, they often have a fair variety that will show up. You can use two weapons each turn. Even with a full set of full-blockers/reflectors, you could pick up to two of these, and for all practical purposes you'd only be able to deal with two icons. For the best net icon result, reflectors are usually better.
However, say the Opponent averages four of each of the two icon types you're reflecting. You'll be launching back three of those four, blocking six from hitting you and dealing six to your Opponent. The trade-off becomes 2 to 6. However, if the Opponent is getting in more icons (through variety), your reflectors are suddenly not so worthwhile, and a Wand of Reality (for the sake of grabbing a quick weapon) would turn the amount from 2 to 6 to 4 to 16 (from a one third ratio to one fourth). Now, disregarding any extra icons the Opponent may be dealing, your ratio has improved by using a normal weapon. Since the icon range here is so low, it's very likely that the G-Shield or the Tabard will reduce the damage done to you to 0, and you can throw any weapon for the net icon advantage that your wallet can afford.
I know that was a shoddy argument, but if you take a little time to think about it it does prove that defense is not entirely worthless even if you're purely training Strength (Golden Compass, for example, could net extra defense on top of your damage). Keep in mind that against DoN Opponents there is always a strategy that ignores Defense. As a general rule of thumb, I see Defense as becoming worthwhile at the 550 Boost, when you will block 4/5 of what your shield is capable of against a 700 Booster.
On a personal note, I'm running a 550 Strength Boost, 200 Defense Boost Pet (with almost 500 HP). I have no intention of training my Defense, and am currently on three One Player High Score Charts (working on my fourth today, and I plan to achieve it before the weekend). However, in many cases (if not all) it will be completely possible for a 700 Defense Boost Pet to rack up more total wins than I can (albeit at the cost of a gruelingly slow pace). There are many One Player Opponents who I will probably not be able to achieve the High Score Chart against because of my lack of Defense. It should also be noted that I do not do Two Player, and I got pwned in the first round of the last tournament I was in.