Mystery Island School vs Swashbuckling vs lab vs New pet

[Karnatu]

Which is the best thing to do for me at the moment?
I'm at level 21 but hp 94 and strength at 65 and defence somewhere near 27 and speed near 37 and intelligence at 72. Now what is the best thing for me to do?

[Mongrel]

Stop labbing(if you're labbing). Train at the Academy until your pet's level is half the HP--you'll be at level 47 before you can train attack and defence, unfortunately, so you'll have to switch to Mystery Island at level 40. The other ways of gaining levels(like Deadly Dice, if you're careful) may help. Then train attack and defence up to match the HP. Ignore agility, as it's only useful for a handful of weapons.
Once you've got the pet's stats balanced, you can lab and train at the same time, but you have to be careful and periodically stop labbing to maintain the balance. I believe that at Mystery Island you can have HP up to 3 times higher than level, but if it goes higher than that you have to train the level up to half the HP. The lab increases defence only slightly, helps attack somewhat, and usually takes more levels away than it gives, so you'll have to keep training those to match the runaway HP gain.
If you're just training, you don't have to worry about that. Just train attack and defence up to almost twice your level(I say almost because sometimes you get super bonuses and you don't want to go over the level). Train HP up to almost three times your level.

[Laryxle]

it depends what you want, I think after level 20 the lab ray cannot reduce your levels back to level 1, so if you want a highly disproportioned pet, then keep labbing, you'll probably end up with a pet that has a huge amount of hp compared to level and defence, with a relatively high strength boost. IMO, you only really need levels if you are a dedicated trainer who wants every stat even, and to get sink, burrow, drain life, regenerate etc. Labbing is the cheapest option but will take longer than the training schools, which both have benefits. The krawk island one isn't very good IMO, but the courses are cheaper, however they only go to level 40 and they take longer than codestone training. And codestones have deflated a bit (I think), so probably go with mystery island training for the patient, long term benefit. Although you'll have to get 47 levels to train other stats.

[wildkitten]

may lab pet had it's level (over 20) reduced back to 1

[Cranberry]

In one zap? No one's ever been able to prove that happens.

[wildkitten]

in one zap. I was most unhappy. didn't realise it was a rare occurance - I've heard of a few others that have had the same thing happen

[Karnatu]

I'm training levels via Count Von Roo at the moment and it's helped, now I'm at 23.

[theonlysaneone]

in one zap. I was most unhappy. didn't realise it was a rare occurance - I've heard of a few others that have had the same thing happen

Did you get a screenshot? I've never seen a screenshot of this actually happening, and if it does, it is a very rare occurrence.

[wildkitten]

no.. because I didn't realise it wasn't meant to happen

[Kenjiro]

How would you prove such a thing? the lab ray page doesn't show the stats of a pet.. You'd have to make screenies or a video of the pet's stats and then the zapping each time to see if it would happen. Kind of a lot of work to prove such a thing..

There's no reason anyone would make it up, and as far as I know, it's never been proven either that the ray doesn't reduce it to 1 if you're over a certain level (people don't even agree on what level it should be). It's just that people don't want to believe it could happen, because it would mean quite a loss in levels

[Karnatu]

The evil lab ray just zapped away 2 levels meaning I'm back to level 21.(Poof, back to stage one )

[wildkitten]

I think the pet was only at level 24 or thereabouts at the time, if that helps

[Cranberry]

There's no reason anyone would make it up, and as far as I know, it's never been proven either that the ray doesn't reduce it to 1 if you're over a certain level (people don't even agree on what level it should be).

That's because it's awfully difficult to prove something doesn't happen.

Many of us at IDB believe that you only get the "and he goes down to level 1" message if your pet is already at a very low level. For example, if the lab selects the "lose two levels" option and your pet is level 2, it obviously cannot lose two levels, as no pet can be level 0. Therefore, you get the "and he goes down to level 1" message instead. Very few people have reported losing 20+ levels in one zap, and I've heard that a staffer once said this is a glitch and is never supposed to happen, but I can't find any editorials or anything where that's confirmed. I do know many people who have been labbing for years and years and have never had it happen.

[Karnatu]

How do we draw with Von Roo? I sometimes do it, but I don't know how. I easily beat him but I need some speed now. Btw I'm now level 29 and hp 99 so another 21 levels and I'm done. I don't train at all though. I use scratchcards, Von Roo and Lab ray too raise it.

[Chivewarrior]

Perhaps someone would like to ask the editorial about this supposed lab glitch?