Beating Punchbag Bob is a Trophy Well-Earned

This summer, our computer decided it wasn’t going to work. After all, it was eight or nine years old. I finally talked my parents into buying a new one, because they were just as frustrated. We just received it about two weeks ago, and so I’ve only got to play Neopets for about one week this summer. So, when I picked my goals, I wanted them to be something I have never even come close to doing before. And one of those goals was to beat Punchbag Bob.

I was not a very patient person. Punchbag Bob had always seemed so far beyond my limits. There was no way in Neopia that I was ever going to attempt it, until this summer. Not to mention the fact that I had a one-player Battledome record of 1 out of 2. I equipped my Ixi with a couple snow balls and began my challenge with him. It was so frustrating: There I was with my very poorly-equipped Ixi that didn’t have a whole lot of strength. In my turns where I used a snowball, I got about 9 HP off of the punching bag. When I ran out of snowballs, I began using my rainbow gun, the most effective weapon I owned. Needless to say, I was extremely lucky if I got 5 HP out of him. I didn’t even know that my Ixi knew Ixi charge.

After hours of my repetitious labor, I had him down to a “low” 4300/5000 HP. I was so excited! This was all the more I could handle at that time, so I got off the computer to go do something else and rest my mind.

Later in the evening, when I went back to get into the battle, I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I tried all the links. I didn’t know that you couldn’t leave a one-player battle and then return. But through all of my clicking I did learn a valuable lesson: Never click the status page while you are in a battle. I REPEAT: Never click the status page while in a battle.

But I did click it, and was withdrawn from the battle (even though I couldn’t re-enter it anyway). I got so upset until I realized that now I had the chance to do it correctly. I went to the battle magic shop and I bought a yellow frost cannon and a lightning gun. I thought to myself, “Punchbag Bob’s really going to get it now.” I completely used my eight equipped items by adding all the snowballs I could. I knew I would really get him this time.

So, I challenged Punchbag Bob once again to fight me. I worked and worked, clicking the same patter over and over and over again until my mind was mush and my eyes couldn’t focus. (NOTE: I highly recommend something like listening to music while fighting Bob. Otherwise, you might fall asleep.) Then, after a very long time, I had him down to 2500. I figured that he was half-beat, so I could go to Cross-country practice and come back to beat the other half of him sometime later. My plan was to just look up the page in my History and return to the battle. I logged off and shut off my computer.

The next morning, I got up and was so excited because I was going to beat Bob and get the trophy that, by now, I had definitely earned. I logged in and went straight to the page in my history. To my great disappointment, I couldn’t get in that way. I said that I was giving up on getting that trophy, and I went off to the game room. Sometime around when I was playing Tyrannian Mini-Golf, a light bulb flashed in my head. “Why don’t I just send my Ixi to the Island Training School?” I dropped Chilibolero off for a two-hour class in Strength, which he needed very badly. I went and bought a Mau Codestone for 5,000 NP (I was shocked at how much prices can change from one summer to the next), and paid for the class.

When my pet was done and had gained some strength, I once again stocked up on snowballs, but not before buying an Attack Fork. I equipped those weapons, and headed off for what I hoped would be my last fight with Punchbag Bob.

And that it was! The Attack Fork and the new strength really helped. It was amazing that each hit went from being perhaps 3 HP to 9HP, or even 14 HP (without snowballs). I beat Bob and got the trophy that I had admired since Punchbag Bob arrived on Neopets.

Now I have some advice for all of you who want to beat Punchbag Bob, but just don’t think you can. First, you have to believe that you can do it. The more you get frustrated about it, the less you will enjoy the trophy once you have it. Second, as I said earlier, have something like music playing (preferably not on the computer if you want it to go as fast as possible). This will make it feel like it takes less time. Third, it is possible to do this on a 56K modem: I did it, and so you can too. Faster computers will definitely help take away the pain of the punchbag. Fourth, try visiting the Island Training School for at least one course in strength before attempting to beat him. It will definitely make a difference in the number of hit points are taken off each time you hit him. Fifth, make sure you have good enough weapons. Mine were rather mediocre because I didn’t want to spend much money. Just go with whatever will fit in your budget. Sixth, if your pet has special moves (i.e. my Ixi had Ixi Charge), your best bet is probably to combine that move with your best weapons for maximum damage. Experiment to find the best combination, but remember that it makes a big difference if he defends himself. The fiercer his attack, the more HP should be taken off.

To all of you who plan to fight Bob, I hope this article has helped you.

To those of have beaten him, I most definitely commend you because you have withstood the amazing test, and have proved to be patient through it. I know what it took for me, and all of you must have amazing determination.

--Skunkerooy