When to buy a new minion? (in Contests)

I've been enjoying the single ranged tank so far, but from what I can gather it seems I'm going to need to get a second and probably third minion eventually to help boost my defenses and get my feet wet in melee.

Is there a certain point I should make the transition to 2 or 3? I'm planning on my front minion having Evasion/DM, my tank dropping his evasion and DM to focus on more DX/ST. Front minion would probably use the Amulet of Leadership and the new boots to help boost my tank's chance to hit evasion and get double/triple hits.

After that my third would probably sit in the back with HP and PL to absorb MM and any hits that make it past my front minion's evasion.

I can't find a use for the fourth at this point.

Buy a second minion near the end of your NUB, say 2,3 weeks before it is due to end, by when if your char has had a good run, you will need to shell out around 25 mil CBD.

If your char has had a good run at the end a minion would cost about 50mil. It costs 22M at 1.4M mpr already

Cool contest!!

If i win i'll take a AoF please :)

25-50m for one single minion?! No way I'll have that kinda money unless I stop upgrading all my items.

No minion is worth $100-200 USD...

not to be rude, but why do people equate the cb into a usd equation every time they talk about an upgrade. It's 25 mil to 50 mil cb to up a minion. if you make the cb in game then it cost you zero and isn't worth a plug nickle. If you look at this game as a game and not as how much usd this or that is worth then it becomes a lot more fun. Just my opinion.

Actually it will be the only chance you can "buy exp" where as you can always get more money. Most good players will take the pricier option for that reason.

The reason I equated it to USD is because I don't see how I can possibly get 25-50m without it, unless I stop upgrading my weapon.

You have a while before you have to make that investment, are you upgrading your sling in relation to you encumbrance? Also would you start losing if you stopped upgrading it. I would expect the new minion would be more important than that amount of nw on your bow. Also seriously, why did you put this in the contests forum??

I didn't think about it as buying XP though for some reason I just assumed the new minion would be "fresh", or at least very small.

Oh shoot...I meant to be in general. Sorry. At least now I get the AoF comment :).

You have 2 prices when you buy a new minion, and though the starting exp will be small in comparison with your other minion/minions the more expensive option gives way more exp, and as i said you will get few chances to buy exp for cb$. I am currently saving to get my third minion, and as i finished nub a while ago it is taking me sometime to get there!!

Well, to help you plan, I just bought an (expensive) minion for $21M.
What that netted me was about 6M exp, or enough for about 500k levels in HP/evasion/DM etc.
Based on this and where you are at, I would definitely recommend getting one before your N*B ends so you will have a chance to build it up. 500k of evasion isn't going to do much for you. 500k DM wouldn't be so bad, but hopefully you see what I'm getting at.
This new minion will be small. Plan how a small minion can help you or plan to build it up maybe with an ROE if you can.