Planning for the future

[SpeedZ]

What would be the most strategic way to plan for the future for my pet?

Stats:
Kacheek
LVL: 21 (I messed up, I know)
STR: 35
DEF: 35
HP: 35-40

I have no weapons equipped right now for this pet
3.25 million budget
[X]Lab Ray
[X]Codestone
[X]Dubloon training

Weapons still owned:

Downsize!
Leaf Shield

Advice please

[Shattered Rift]

Are you planning to do One Player, Two Player, or a bit of both? If One Player, train. If Two Player, I'm bound to make a mistake in any advice I give you due to the low stat range you're currently in (and I'm not the best at Two Player advice anyway).

[SpeedZ]

One Player. Maybe two player for fun but thats it.

Oh yea, I would also like it if you can give me an approx. price range that I will spend if I train.

Thanks

[modchamp]

As Shattered Rift said for one player training is going to be better than having a better set.

I'd make a set of something like:
Leaf Shield you've got it
Downsize! you've got it
Honey Potion 800k
Makeshift Ships Hammer 100k
Pike Pike 120-145k
Blue Scorchstone 30k
Golden Compass 110k
AND last slot is switched out depending on what you need for your upcoming battle
Purple Sticky Hand
or
15 icon Muffin
or
Steaming Skeem Potion
or
Jittery Jipple Potion

About 1.2m set and rest can be put into training to get you to the 55 boost.

Edit: I'd like to add that if you have any money left over after you get to the 55 boost I'd consider saving up for or getting the lab ray. Or if you'd like you could get it before you get to the 55 boost, if you make enough a day you can use the money you have left + the money you make each day to train and balance out your stats.

[SpeedZ]

I do have the Lab ray

[Shattered Rift]

Oh, One Player. In that case, things will be much cheaper than I expected. Granted, I have no accurate idea on training costs right now. Realistically, the more you pour into training, the better.

I'm also going to suggest you ignore most of Modchamp's advice. More on that in a moment.

There is something to consider while training: one, Defense is less necessary in One Player than it is in Two Player, and until you hit about the 450 Defense Boost, it won't generally help you. However, deciding not to train it shouldn't be made lightly, especially if you think you might ever get into Two Player.

Another thing to consider: if you're just playing for DoN, you don't really need a "set" in the traditional sense. DoN opponents can be defeated by strategies involving single-use items (Prickly Potion being the main exception).


The set recommendation is as follows:

Prickly Potion
Prickly Potion
Scuzzys Comb
Scuzzys Comb
Snowglobe Staff (or Black Frost Cannon)
Downsize!
Greater Healing Scroll (until your HP breaks about 44 or so, Blue Scorchstone is arguably better)

Situationally, Purple Sticky Hand. If you feel the compulsive need to spend money, Honey Potion has some usefulness.

Optionally, dual-Essence of Esophagor are an option as a third-backup. Odds are Prickly or Scuzzys will manage just fine the vast majority of the time, though. (Your goal is to do the most damage without risking your offense being blocked, thus the dual with each. Though there will be times when you'll need to take on a degree of defense.)

The flaw with Modchamp's suggestion was that he went trying to cover all the bases when (unlike Two Player) he shouldn't have.

[modchamp]

Yeah sorry realized that after I posted, also realized I left out a freezer. As Shattered Rift says, prickly potions are fantastic in 1p until your str boost gets up to where your fighting at the same level as your enemy. Though by that time you should have much more money and a better set to work with so you wouldn't necessarily need them anyways. I'm not sure if I like the Scuzzys Combs or not, granted they are the cheapest 10 iconer, but even playing 1 player it seems like they don't do that well. Also you may want to consider going kacheek, elephante, or gelert for the species healers as your hp gets higher, but for now BSS then GHS will cover you. Anyways I was a little out of it with my last post, and still don't feel right, but w/e.

Btw shattered rift, why do you say that defence isn't real necessary until around the 450 boost?

[SpeedZ]

I am a kacheek, You're still out of it

Should I use the Kacheek species healer or the GHS/BSS?

[modchamp]

For now I'd use BSS as Shattered Rift said at about 44+ hp switch to the GHS then at 101+ switch to the species healer. Actually I was thinking about a 50% healer, hmm since kacheek has full heal or 33% I'm not totally sure. Though I'd still think about 101+ hp would be the mark. Going to have to ask Shattered Rift or someone else more experienced about that one.

[Shattered Rift]

modchamp Wrote:Though by that time you should have much more money and a better set to work with so you wouldn't necessarily need them anyways. I'm not sure if I like the Scuzzys Combs or not, granted they are the cheapest 10 iconer, but even playing 1 player it seems like they don't do that well.

Btw shattered rift, why do you say that defence isn't real necessary until around the 450 boost?

With the money: not necessarily. The thing about One Player is that your stats are more important than anything else, largely including your set (even pouring one million into a set can carry you a long ways in One Player, especially if you primarily do DoN).

Scuzzys Comb being the cheapest 10-iconer is the reason I recommend them. Sure, Physical is the most commonly blocked icon, but I doubt that running dual-Spellbooks instead would justify the cost. With Essences as backup, it's just the one or two icon difference (depending on if you're using one or two during a turn).

At the 450 Boost, icon-based defenses can start defending 700 Boost Pets decently. Prior to that point Defense is still useable, but in a different light. Most of the opponents you face are stronger than you (thus why you have difficulty beating them), and they generally only gain a Strength advantage over your Defense. The last factor is that they rarely are guaranteed to deal a specific icon, so you won't always be blocking. Thus your Strength is generally more important than your Defense in One Player. It's usually better to resort to another defensive method (Thick Smoke Bomb, Burrow, Sink, Downsize!, etc). Excepting tanks (I'm not sure how many people play the tank game in One Player), Strength is just usually better. Even if a person evenly trains their stats, the Defense isn't guaranteed to matter in a given turn.

Edit: Nearly forgot. Since you have the Lab, and you're doing One Player, use it. The increase in pacing on your stats is more important than the advantage of a species healer. Though it might be worth keeping a species healer and a morphing potion for that species handy in case we see a battling plot in the future.

[modchamp]

Ok I understand, btw instead of dual Essence of Esophagor for backup why not dual Pike Pike, the water + light is a pretty good combo 1 or 2 player and it's very nearly the same price, only 10-20k difference.