Forum discussions are now taking place on Discord. For all account questions and concerns, please continue to contact Customer Support directly.

Keep updated on Pirate101 on Twitter @Pirate101, Facebook, Discord, and @KI_Alerts!

Best way to save companion training points.

AuthorMessage
Ensign
Jan 28, 2016
26
Hey guys, this is a strange topic. So I train my companion in a weird way.

So let's say I level up my companion once every time i level up twice. I will be five levels ahead before i level up my companions.

Example: Me-level 10
Companions-level 5

when i level them up, they'll be 7, then i level myself up two more times, then level my companions once, to level 9.

I use this method of training, to save points, and have time for them to do orders (above level 11) when i'm questing. Also it'll save golds.

Also, I never recruit side companions or buy crown companions (Zeena, Bones McGee, Helephant, etc.) except the ones you got from your trainer, which is a must recruit asap. Recruiting extra companion can be a pain to max out after you finish the game.

So save your time buy recruit only the trainer given companion.

How do you guys level up your companions?

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Greaver5686 on May 3, 2017 wrote:
Hey guys, this is a strange topic. So I train my companion in a weird way.

So let's say I level up my companion once every time i level up twice. I will be five levels ahead before i level up my companions.

Example: Me-level 10
Companions-level 5

when i level them up, they'll be 7, then i level myself up two more times, then level my companions once, to level 9.

I use this method of training, to save points, and have time for them to do orders (above level 11) when i'm questing. Also it'll save golds.

Also, I never recruit side companions or buy crown companions (Zeena, Bones McGee, Helephant, etc.) except the ones you got from your trainer, which is a must recruit asap. Recruiting extra companion can be a pain to max out after you finish the game.

So save your time buy recruit only the trainer given companion.

How do you guys level up your companions?
If this is working for you, then it's best ( for you ).
I prefer to have my crew as battle ready as possible and I really hate when they are 3 levels or more behind me.
In many battles, the difference of 2 or 5 levels could mean the difference of a companion surviving the battle or going on bed rest.
Saving gold isn't a problem in the higher levels and leveling companions gets easier, if you're using them for tasks like Plunderin' or Wranglin'.
I recruit all companions available through main or side quest lines. You may miss a true gem doing it your way. So you don't have Zeena? Too bad for you.

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
First off - Zeena is a side quest companion, not from the Crown Shop, so you wouldn't buy her.

Secondly, I love side quest companions. I love having a large crew and the variety it brings to battles. Not to mention, those side quest companions are good for tasking -- especially when you first get them and they can o Keel Haulin'. Amassing gold isn't that difficult if you know where to find it, and at max levels there isn't much to spend it on other than training tomes.

Finally, if you wait until you are about 3-4 levels above your companions, you can get a level each from a single Training Tome. If you wait until you are about 10 levels above, they will get 3-4 levels per tome.

Free training tomes are available throughout the Spiral:

http://www.pirate101central.com/forums/showthread.php?57878-Illustrated-Guide-to-Ancient-Tomes&highlight=training+tome+location


Lieutenant
Nov 05, 2011
138
Greaver5686 on May 3, 2017 wrote:
Hey guys, this is a strange topic. So I train my companion in a weird way.

So let's say I level up my companion once every time i level up twice. I will be five levels ahead before i level up my companions.

Example: Me-level 10
Companions-level 5

when i level them up, they'll be 7, then i level myself up two more times, then level my companions once, to level 9.

I use this method of training, to save points, and have time for them to do orders (above level 11) when i'm questing. Also it'll save golds.

Also, I never recruit side companions or buy crown companions (Zeena, Bones McGee, Helephant, etc.) except the ones you got from your trainer, which is a must recruit asap. Recruiting extra companion can be a pain to max out after you finish the game.

So save your time buy recruit only the trainer given companion.

How do you guys level up your companions?
I always keep my go to companions at least one or two levels behind me while questing.

Ensign
Jan 28, 2016
26
Hehe I meant to say I never recruit side companions until I'm max

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
Greaver5686 on May 4, 2017 wrote:
Hehe I meant to say I never recruit side companions until I'm max
And again - you're missing out on many, many advantages that having those side quest companions can give you while you are questing, not the least of which is helping maintain your nautical level (if you don't enjoy sinking ships). Even if you don't train them very often and keep them on-task constantly, I'd suggest that it's better to have them than not.

Just sayin'...


Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Greaver5686 on May 4, 2017 wrote:
Hehe I meant to say I never recruit side companions until I'm max
LOL, ok then, that's another story and actually a good strategy.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Willowydream on May 4, 2017 wrote:
And again - you're missing out on many, many advantages that having those side quest companions can give you while you are questing, not the least of which is helping maintain your nautical level (if you don't enjoy sinking ships). Even if you don't train them very often and keep them on-task constantly, I'd suggest that it's better to have them than not.

Just sayin'...

But then they can Keel Haul like there's no tomorrow and then later when levels rise they can be set to Keel Haulin' again ( since they'll be 1 - 2 levels above him. )

Admiral
Jul 07, 2013
1124
I think I wrote about this before but I like to have a big crew because it varies the battle. I just don't understand how a lot of people can fight every fight with the same companions. Doesn't it get boring for you?

Virtuous Dante Ramsey

Captain
Jan 17, 2012
672
I'm not sure I follow.

You say your level up your companions once every time you level up twice, but your numbers don't agree with that.

You 10 12 14 16
Them 5 6 7 8

See, that is what happens when you only level them up once when you level up twice. By the time you get to level 70, they will only be level 35, which will be highly inadequate for Marleybone, let alone Valencia II.

What I do, is I keep my companions the same level as my pirate. While it requires time, it does not require additional gold.

When my pirate levels up, I stop play, mark my spot, and go back to Skull Island. I use all the training tomes I accumulated the last time I leveled up, and get some of them up to the next level (it requires four each). I then take my last companion and temporarily promote him to First Mate. I then send as many as I can out Keel Haulin' while the rest go out Brawlin'. Once one of the companions comes back with a tome, I put the other companion back in his last place and send him out Brawlin'. Each companion after that that comes back with a tome, I take that tome and use it to help the others who are Brawlin' and send them out Keel Haulin' again. If more then ten companions end up at the top level, any I can't send Keel Haulin' I send out Sailin' to get my nautical level up.

Once all companions are either holding a training tome or out Keel Haulin', I start collecting the tomes and sending Companions out Sailin', Plunderin', and Scavangin' until all the tomes are collected.

Doing this keeps all my companions at the same level as my pirate. Done right, with six different pirates, you can always have one available for play.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Max DeGroot on May 5, 2017 wrote:
I'm not sure I follow.

You say your level up your companions once every time you level up twice, but your numbers don't agree with that.

You 10 12 14 16
Them 5 6 7 8

See, that is what happens when you only level them up once when you level up twice. By the time you get to level 70, they will only be level 35, which will be highly inadequate for Marleybone, let alone Valencia II.

What I do, is I keep my companions the same level as my pirate. While it requires time, it does not require additional gold.

When my pirate levels up, I stop play, mark my spot, and go back to Skull Island. I use all the training tomes I accumulated the last time I leveled up, and get some of them up to the next level (it requires four each). I then take my last companion and temporarily promote him to First Mate. I then send as many as I can out Keel Haulin' while the rest go out Brawlin'. Once one of the companions comes back with a tome, I put the other companion back in his last place and send him out Brawlin'. Each companion after that that comes back with a tome, I take that tome and use it to help the others who are Brawlin' and send them out Keel Haulin' again. If more then ten companions end up at the top level, any I can't send Keel Haulin' I send out Sailin' to get my nautical level up.

Once all companions are either holding a training tome or out Keel Haulin', I start collecting the tomes and sending Companions out Sailin', Plunderin', and Scavangin' until all the tomes are collected.

Doing this keeps all my companions at the same level as my pirate. Done right, with six different pirates, you can always have one available for play.
Everyone here has good ideas on how to use those training points; some are easier than others & some ( like yours ) require more patience.
As I've said before, if it's working for you, then that's the best way ( for you. )

Gunner's Mate
Feb 26, 2013
245
I like my companions to be as close to my level as possible when I'm playing, and I also buy crown companions and completely every sidequest I can, including sidequests that grant companions. Keisuke/Kan Po is, to me, a must have companion so I usually buy him from the crowns shop once I commit to a character. I have about 3 pages now I think of companions on my Privateer, Owen, and some of them are below level 40 but that's besides the point. My swashbuckler whom I'm working on right now tries to keep everyone the same level. I wait until I'm a level or two above them to level them up. Don't get me wrong, saving companion points is a good idea but my philosophy is if you ain't gonna use them, what's the point of saving them? And if your companions are too below your level, how will you progress in the game?

Gold for points isn't really an issue because that's usually all I ever spend my gold on, besides the occasional new gear from the Bazaar.

Ensign
Jan 28, 2016
26
Max DeGroot on May 5, 2017 wrote:
I'm not sure I follow.

You say your level up your companions once every time you level up twice, but your numbers don't agree with that.

You 10 12 14 16
Them 5 6 7 8

See, that is what happens when you only level them up once when you level up twice. By the time you get to level 70, they will only be level 35, which will be highly inadequate for Marleybone, let alone Valencia II.

What I do, is I keep my companions the same level as my pirate. While it requires time, it does not require additional gold.

When my pirate levels up, I stop play, mark my spot, and go back to Skull Island. I use all the training tomes I accumulated the last time I leveled up, and get some of them up to the next level (it requires four each). I then take my last companion and temporarily promote him to First Mate. I then send as many as I can out Keel Haulin' while the rest go out Brawlin'. Once one of the companions comes back with a tome, I put the other companion back in his last place and send him out Brawlin'. Each companion after that that comes back with a tome, I take that tome and use it to help the others who are Brawlin' and send them out Keel Haulin' again. If more then ten companions end up at the top level, any I can't send Keel Haulin' I send out Sailin' to get my nautical level up.

Once all companions are either holding a training tome or out Keel Haulin', I start collecting the tomes and sending Companions out Sailin', Plunderin', and Scavangin' until all the tomes are collected.

Doing this keeps all my companions at the same level as my pirate. Done right, with six different pirates, you can always have one available for play.
So here's how it works, Max DeGroot

When I'm 5 levels ahead, my companions will be leveled up TWICE just by using ONE training point, so its like this

Example: Start
Me: 10 12 14 16 Levels two times
Companions: 7 9 11 13 Use one point, gains two levels
Use 1 pt /another /another

This method works well, it saves time and gold, which you'll need in case you run out. I train all my companions at once. You won't have to buy any until around you're level 25. Usually you'll have to 5-10 training points when you reach a higher level, but you can just train only the ones you use at the moment. But if you train all at once, you'll still get enough gold to buy all ten training points back, let alone gaining 6-7 points from leveling up twice.

You might be worried that when you're four levels ahead, it'll be harder for your companions to take out enemies, but thats not the case. I used this method ever since I first started the game, and works really well if you buff your companions first (which I don't see many people do) and then attack.

So about the gold. I use my other max characters to farm gold and buy the items i need for my other character, although the first character I ran was a little pain to do, but still manages.

Ensign
Jan 28, 2016
26
Here is what it's suppose to say:

Example.....Start
..............Me:.10.........12....... 14...........16.....(Levels two times)
Companion:...7...........9.........11...........13.....(Levels up TWICE with ONE training point)
............... Use 1 pt/another/another/another

Captain
Jan 17, 2012
672
Greaver5686 on May 5, 2017 wrote:
So here's how it works, Max DeGroot

When I'm 5 levels ahead, my companions will be leveled up TWICE just by using ONE training point, so its like this

Example: Start
Me: 10 12 14 16 Levels two times
Companions: 7 9 11 13 Use one point, gains two levels
Use 1 pt /another /another

This method works well, it saves time and gold, which you'll need in case you run out. I train all my companions at once. You won't have to buy any until around you're level 25. Usually you'll have to 5-10 training points when you reach a higher level, but you can just train only the ones you use at the moment. But if you train all at once, you'll still get enough gold to buy all ten training points back, let alone gaining 6-7 points from leveling up twice.

You might be worried that when you're four levels ahead, it'll be harder for your companions to take out enemies, but thats not the case. I used this method ever since I first started the game, and works really well if you buff your companions first (which I don't see many people do) and then attack.

So about the gold. I use my other max characters to farm gold and buy the items i need for my other character, although the first character I ran was a little pain to do, but still manages.
I'll just say that having my companions 5 levels behind my pirate has not worked out well for me. Especially when I went up against the hydra.

And I do buff my companions first (unless I spend the first round going back to a corner, which I do with my musketeer and witchdoctor).

I lost all of my companions against the hydra once.

Ensign
Jan 28, 2016
26
When my companions are 5 levels behind me, THAT'S when I level them up twice using one training point.

Admiral
Nov 01, 2013
1413
Greaver5686 on May 3, 2017 wrote:
Hey guys, this is a strange topic. So I train my companion in a weird way.

So let's say I level up my companion once every time i level up twice. I will be five levels ahead before i level up my companions.

Example: Me-level 10
Companions-level 5

when i level them up, they'll be 7, then i level myself up two more times, then level my companions once, to level 9.

I use this method of training, to save points, and have time for them to do orders (above level 11) when i'm questing. Also it'll save golds.

Also, I never recruit side companions or buy crown companions (Zeena, Bones McGee, Helephant, etc.) except the ones you got from your trainer, which is a must recruit asap. Recruiting extra companion can be a pain to max out after you finish the game.

So save your time buy recruit only the trainer given companion.

How do you guys level up your companions?
I always have three Companions that are battle-ready, so every time I Level up and get more Training Points, I Level up whichever one of the three is the lowest Level, until I acquire a new Companion (I use Fan Flanders, Sarah Steele and ______). It helps a lot.

- The Dashing Swashbuckler, A.K.A. Helpful Aurora Parker, Level 61 Swashbuckler
- The Reckless Pirate, A.K.A. Brave Kiley, Level 26 Buccaneer
- The Leading Commodore, A.K.A. Nora, Level 12 Privateer
- The Lazy Sharpshooter, A.K.A. Destiny Galway, Level 9 Musketeer