Ninja Gum Lab

*For the Anime Appearance go to the section: Anime*

The **Ninja Gum Lab** is the well-known location of Burton where the Ninja Gum was developed. In the game it was introduced in Season 9. The laboratory is a way to enhance weapons permanently and even modify them. These enhancements include increasing the maximum life, Gum Bind duration, dealt damage and more. Alter Specials are special moves unlockable through the Lab. After unlocking they can be swapped out with the existing special on the Gum Weapon and thus change the play style of it. Additionally exclusive Weapon Skins can be unlocked through the Gum Lab.

## Research Structure

The Ninja Gum Lab consists of different categories.

* General Research
* Advanced Research

* Katana Research
* Hammer Research
* Yo-yo Research
* Board Research
* Punch Research
* Extra Research

The first is the General Research. The research in this category affects not only one but all weapons. Same goes to the second category, Advanced Research. All the other categories are weapon type specific. For instance, the progress in the Katana Research affects only Katana Type weapons.

### Research Effects

All categories consist of a Research Tree. Each Tree has Subtrees and each Subtree has **Research Effects** that can be leveled up. For example, the first Effect in the Punch Research Tree is called "S-Energy Recovery Rate+". Researching this, increases the recovery speed of S-Energy by 1% at Level 1. The maximum level is 10 where the effect will be 10%. So for every level-up the effect increase is 1%. This progression doesn't apply to all Research Effects though. Some of them increases 0.5% per level and others don't have a percentage increase. All Research Effects are permanent for any Battle Mode, assuming "Research Effects" in the Options menu is enabled.

### Research Level

Research Effects can be leveled up to increase their effects. Therefore Ninja Medals and Research Points are needed. The higher the level the more Medals and Points are required. The scaling of the costs differs depending on the Research Effect. More can be read in the section Research Subtree.

By researching, the **Research Level** levels up as well. So the Research Level is a general level for the lab. Whenever a Research Effect is leveled up the Research Level increases too. Reaching certain Research Levels will be rewarded with Ninja Medals, Gumball Machine Coins, Assist Codes, Jalas and exclusive Badges. To level up a Research Effect at first most Effects have preconditions. If an Effect has a predecessor, the predecessor has to be leveled up first, mostly to Level 5. This basically means a player cannot start anywhere in the Research Tree but from the beginning of a Research Tree. Additionally, the Research Level must be 25 for the first Research Effect of any Weapon Research. So the first thing the player has to level up are the effects in the General Research. After reaching level 25 they can proceed to the Weapon Research.

### Research Subtree

Upon closer look Research Effects can branch and merge within a Research Tree a few times. These parts can be called **Subtrees**. A Weapon Research Tree currently consists of four Subtrees. Depending on which Subtree an Research Effect is in, the costs scale differently. Generally, the further back an Effect is, the higher the costs of leveling up.

At the end of a Subtree, before Research Effects are merging, there can be **special kind of Effects**; Effects, that unlocks something, instead of being permanent battle effects. And because unlocking is a one time thing, these Special Effects cannot be leveled up. The drawback is that they generally cost more. But they only cost Research Points, no Medals.

### Special Research Effects

#### Alter Special

The last Research Effects of the second Subtree in a Weapon Research are Alter Specials. Researching Alter Specials unlocks another Special Attack for a specific weapon subclass like Katana Type A. The Alter Special of Katana Type A is called "Razor Edge". A weapon cannot have two Specials simultaneously, therefore the normal Special "Charging Slash" has to be unequipped. The cost for unlocking is 235 Research Points, beside meeting the prerequisites. Alter Specials cannot be leveled up.

#### Lab exclusive Ninja-Gum Skins

The last Research Effects of the third Subtree in a Weapon Research are **exclusive** Weapon Skins. These skins are designed by the in-game Brands. Their logos even appear on the skins. Unlike other Weapon Skins these cannot be consumed, the player gets an infinite amount of these, once unlocked. Unfortunately not every weapon has such a Skin, only selected one. To unlock them the player needs 289 Research Points, beside meeting the prerequisites. Just like Alter Specials they cannot be leveled up.

#### General Research

The General Research Tree has a different structure. It doesn't branch and merge but still can be divided in two parts. It consists of 10 Research Effects. The last 5 are Special Research Effects. After researching them the player unlocks 2 additional **Favourites Slots**, so 10 slots in total for both Equipment and Avatar. Also, the costs of leveling up Research Effects in the General Research are different than for the weapon type specific ones.

## Cost Tables

The following tables contain all costs. But before, here are a some very useful pre-calculations

### Tips and Pre-Calculations

Summary:

* Research Level 25: 475 Research Points
* First Alter Special: 1,603 Research Points
	+ Second and Third: Each 781 Research Points
* First Lab Skin: 1,201 Research Points
	+ Second and Third: Each 973 Research Points

A player must start with the General Research, because the Research Level must be 25 to start a Weapon Research. Leveling the first 5 Research Effects to level 5 cost **475 Research Points.**

The most favorable way to get the first Alter Special is to research all effects in the top row to level 5. There are 5 Research Effects in the first Subtree and 5 in the second. the last effect of the second Subtree is the Alter Special though. So its 5 from the first Subtree, 4 from the second Subtree and the Alter Special. In total it costs **1,603 Research Points**. Most of the Weapon Research Tree have 3 Alter Specials. To unlock the other 2 Alter Specials less Points are needed because after unlocking the first one, the player can start from the second Subtree. There are 3 Research Effects to level up to get to the Alter Special. In total it costs **781 Research Points** to get the second Alter Special. To unlock the last one another **781 Research Points** are needed.

Most of the Weapon Research Trees have 3 Lab Weapon Skins. To unlock the first one **1,201 Research Points** are needed. **973 Research Points** are needed for each of the others

### Cost Tables

Special Research Effects: Favourites Slots, Alter Special, Gum Weapon Skin
 Alter Special
 Gum Weapon Skin

## Anime

The Ninja Gum Lab is a specialized location that was utilized by Burton, Berecca, and Ron to create the top secret Ninja Gum for the World Ninja Association. It was also inhabited by Burton's Cat- Goro.

This location was featured in Episode 0 of the Ninjala animated series, which is also the site where Ron attempted to execute Burton. Bob, a former WNA employee, was eventually murdered at this location hours after such events.