Help for a (more or less) beginner, please!

[bettywales]

I have done some 1-player battling, and have managed to get up to Vira without too much difficulty. I don't really know what I'm doing, though. My weapons have been purchased over time, basically by looking for weapons that everyone seems to be talking about, and buying that.

Here's what I have to work with:

Species : Yurble
Level : 41
Health : 64
Strength : 64
Defence : 46
Move : 45
Intelligence : 181

The level was an accident, and I know I need to knock him back to at least 39. Midnight NST is 3am my time, though, so it's going to take some effort! I was working to raise my strength before my unfortunate leveling incident.

Here's what he has:
Purple Sticky Hand
Leaf Shield
Scarab Ring (2)
Rainbow Frost Cannon
Obsidian Dagger
Frozen Wand of Crystals
Psellias Fighting Fan

I also have:

Downsize
Snowglobe Staff
Flaming Oven Gloves
Brain Tree Mace
Scuzzys Comb
Greater Healing Scroll
Scroll of Dark Nova
Lightweight Maractite Spear
Bone Sceptre
plus various muffins, scrolls, & an assortment of crap.

I think I'm just lacking proper balance, but do I have the tools for a decent set already, or is this going to cost me? Oh, he has burrow, sink and drain life. I'm pretty exclusively a 1-player battler. Does anyone have some advice for me? Thanks!

[Spongebob22]

Use Count Von Roo and try your luck on that to get it down to 39. As for weapons get rid of the Obsidian Dagger and one of the scarab rings for the Greater Healing Scroll. I'm not sure if the Frozen Wand of Crystals will help when you're getting water defence from the Leaf Shield so I think you should store it and use the Scuzzys Comb. Then if your Purple Sticky Hand doesn't need to be used then replace it with a bomb. Also get the Downsize! in there by replacing one of your weapons I'm not sure which one and sell most of everything you have and you should get some money.

New Set
Purple Sticky Hand or a muffin/snowball
Downsize!
Leaf Shield
Rainbow Frost Cannon
Greater Healing Scroll
Scuzzys Comb
Psellias Fighting Fan
A dual-duty that you might want to use (Golden Compass) but that might not be in your budget.

I don't know if this is a good set but I'm pretty sure more people will come and give better sets so don't go for this yet until someone else comes along and posts cos I'm not so good at this.

[bettywales]

Thanks! Actually, I have enough for a Golden Compass, which is one of the things I was thinking about trying. Should I get that, or save for a honey potion? That seems to be another thing that "everyone" has.

Oh, and I meant to say I was training *defense* before accidentally over-leveling.

[Spongebob22]

Dunno actually I got my compass for 140k and it was a good buy. Honey Potion inflated heaps I remember when it used to be like 300k and I was saving for it until I quit cos it got so boring so I'd say get the compass first and save up for the Honey Potion later because it's like 700k. Besides muffins and snowballs do almost as much as the Potion but most of them are expensive like Water Muffin.

If you sold stuff you have you should get around 100k and that should get you get you the Compass and leftover money for training because you already had some money. Also if your opponent doesn't deal water icons, but deals light then have keep a Patched Magic Hat just in case. Yurbles get that good ability which does 10 icons when you first use it and then 6 afterwards which is good.

[CadaverGrey]

First of all, nope, the yurble doesn't have a 10-icon ability. When the yurble hits level 50, the Yurble Yodel does 3 air and 2 light instead of the 3 earth and 1 physical it normally does.

Second... Honey Potion at 300k? You must have played Neo for a really long time cos as far back as I can remember (in my three years playing Neo), HP has always been between 600-800k .

Anyway, Betty, let's take a look at your set:

Purple Sticky Hand - Good for 1 player. Keep.

Leaf Shield - One of the best (if not the best) shield for it's price. Keep.

Scarab Ring (2) - One Scarab Ring is good. Two of em is an over kill. Then again, you are playing 1-player, so icons doesn't matter much. I suggest that you keep one in your SDB, though.

Rainbow Frost Cannon - Good in one player. Keep.

Obsidian Dagger - It's a nice weapon. But you've outgrown this. If you like teh icons though, the next upgrade you should look at is a Tyrannian Lupe Tooth. Currently, the price is a little steep, so I wouldn't be rushing for one just yet.

Frozen Wand of Crystals - It's a good dual duty. But it overlaps with your Psellias Fighting Fan. Doesn't matter as much in 1-player, but it's always a better idea to have variety. Also, the defence is abit of an overkill, as you already have more than enough water defence for your level from the Leaf Shield. Also, if you are getting the Golden Compass, there will be an overlap of icons there as well.

Psellias Fighting Fan - Nice 9 iconer. But as I mentioned it overlaps with the Wand and Compass.

What you also have:

Snowglobe Staff - You have the Rainbow Frost Cannon so this is redundant. Sell it.
Flaming Oven Gloves - Keep. Good an cheap anti-fire.
Brain Tree Mace - Essence of Esophagor is better value and more powerful. Sell this.
Scroll of Dark Nova - Keep until you can afford a Ramtors Spellbook. You never know when you are gonna think about crossing over to 2-player
Lightweight Maractite Spear - Ummm... it's good for the avatar, optimistically speaking, heh.
Bone Sceptre - Another good weapon you've outgrown. Sell.

My other thoughts:

Adding a Golden Compass to your set is great. With it, you're pretty much cover a lot defensive. But your Fan and Wand will make you have an overload of light and air, and when your Yurble hits level 50... well, you get the point...

Selling or putting away your Wand, Fan and S-Ring will help you to maximise your battling potential, so...

My suggested set (almost similar to SpongeBob):

Purple Sticky Hand
Leaf Shield
Scarab Ring (only 1)
Rainbow Frost Cannon
Golden Compass
Scuzzys Comb - How come this is not in your main set?
Downsize! - and this..?
Greater Healing Scroll ... and this?

[Spongebob22]

Oh my bad about the Yurbles ability and yeah it's been 300k for ages I think 2 years ago but then it inflated so much and yeah betty do what Cadaver suggested lol.

[bettywales]

Thanks guys! I think I'll try this set. My bid on a golden compass at the TP was accepted, so I'm going to take 'er out for a spin. I just got scuzzys comb last week, and hadn't tried it out yet - I'll definitely put it in.

I assume that the Tyrannian Lupe Tooth would replace the scarab ring? If my profit on my half-price-day purchases comes in like I expect, I'll be able to get that next. Okay, so my wish/save-up-for list now consists of Ramtor's Spellbook, Essence of Esophagor and Honey Potion. By the time I have the money for those, I should know which ones I really need.

Hey, I really appreciate the help. You're right about the possibility of moving on to 2-player. I just want to practice with the 1-player opponents to get the hang of this. I was quite the hotshot Pokemon battler in my day, so the basic strategy is familiar (though the defensive considerations in Neo are MUCH more interesting). Just have to study the icons and effects in this game.

Thanks so much for the time you both put in to helping me!

[CadaverGrey]

bettywales Wrote:I assume that the Tyrannian Lupe Tooth would replace the scarab ring?  If my profit on my half-price-day purchases comes in like I expect, I'll be able to get that next. Okay, so my wish/save-up-for list now consists of Ramtor's Spellbook, Essence of Esophagor and Honey Potion.  By the time I have the money for those, I should know which ones I really need.

Well, yes and no about the Tooth replacing the Ring. In terms of power, you definitely are looking at an upgrade. However, they deal different icons, and in some 1-players and especially in 2-player, your selection of icon types is vital. Also Scarab Ring has defence, Tyrannian Lupe Tooth doesn't. Though the physical defence of the Ring can be matched by the Leaf Shield, you would be lacking fire in your main set. Flaming Oven Gloves will help you with this, though.

As for your wish list, I would put them in this order of priority: Honey Potion, Ramtors Spellbook, Essence of Esophagor .