Breakfast Topic: So what sorta pet are you gonna get?
by David Bowers 
Oct 3rd 2008 at 8:00AM
As you already know, patch 3.02, also known as "Echoes of Doom Doom do Doom Doom", will bring with it all those nifty changes to hunter pets' abilities and talents, in addition to doom. Beast Mastery hunters are even getting especially special pets in the form of Exotic Pets through their 51-talent point, called Beast Mastery. Some Beast Mastery hunters will not be getting the Beast Mastery talent, however, because they feel like the coolness of the pet plus a few extra pet talent points do not a worthy 51-talent point make. Other Beast Mastery hunters are just like, "WHOA! Did you see that friggin Core Hound?!" Still other Beast Mastery hunters find the booming sound of Exotic Pet footfalls far too loud, or for other reasons simply prefer normal pets: "Dude, I'm gonna get me a Gorilladin!" or "I've always seen myself as a Pink Flamingo Hunter, and now my hour of destiny has arrived at last!"
So what sorta pet are you gonna get? And why? I'm still undecided myself. I've always enjoyed my Owl most of all, but I'm not tremendously impressed with its new disarm skill in Wrath, since its usefulness seems too limited for my taste. The exotic pets are sometimes really nice looking (like the Spirit Beasts), but sometimes have too much of that "grumpy stompy" look (like Core Hounds) -- though I admit some of those abilities they have are very tempting. I might get used to them, or I might end up going with a Beast Mastery talent build without the Beast Mastery talent, in order to have a wider selection of pets to choose from (in addition to scatter shot). In fact, while writing this post, I just realized how utterly clueless I am about which pets I'll like best. I really have to try them out. Do you have some better idea of what you'll prefer?
Filed under: Hunter, Breakfast Topics, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
Bezulba Oct 3rd 2008 8:09AM
I'm actually leveling my hunter fast so i can be ready when the patch hits for this nifty change. I'm probably going to get a core hound, just for old times sake and when wotlk comes a Rhino caus they are just freaking awesome :P
D.O.T. Oct 3rd 2008 1:24PM
I want a Nian - the white version of the Corehound, also the same one you see in the Draenei beginner area.
Snowdog Oct 3rd 2008 10:04PM
I'm a rebel-even though I've got a BM hunter at 70, I'm sticking with the same pet I've had since the Barrens-a mangy little hyena named Missy. Partly sentimental reasons, and partly rp. Besides, I've only ever seen one other hunter with a hyena, I like having something different.
bendak Oct 3rd 2008 8:10AM
I'll be using two exotic pets...
For PVP the Core Hound. The casting speed reduction is too good, plus its a ferocity pet which I find best for PVP. I am not a big fan of the Cunning tree. A free res to full health plus a free full heal on the pet in the ferocity tree is the best part, plus the extra 9% crit which allows the pet to have 24% crit chance... which means pets will actually be able to crit resilience targets now.
For PVE and off-tanking (maybe main-tanking non-heroic?) I thiink definitely the Worm. The armor reduction skill in my tests seems to generate extra threat (kind of like how Screech does now). Gorilladin is another possibility but I can see that being nerfed. Reducing armor by around ~1500 is nice.
bendak Oct 3rd 2008 8:12AM
Forgot to mention the Rhino! It may turn out that tenacity is good for PVP because of its survivability, and in that case I would use a rhino because of the knockback. And I would be defending or attacking LM at all times just for the chance to knock people off.
Boven Oct 3rd 2008 8:13AM
I'd love to see a few rhinos charge in and clear the bridge in AV.
Nick S Oct 3rd 2008 8:47AM
Tenacity is excellent in PvP due to Roar of Sacrifice - if you get focused, RoS is a life-saver. It's like Soul Link for Hunters.
kunukia Oct 3rd 2008 8:12AM
I still love my wolf, but in Beta, I am going to get a moth also. And...wasps are pretty cool. Gotta save room for a Rhino, I have one in Beta, and it rocks, but so do bears and Devilsaurs...my Orc hunter just grabbed her gorilla...oh, Hell...
kunukia Oct 3rd 2008 8:14AM
I mean in the patch, I am getting a moth also, d'oh!
Flint Oct 3rd 2008 8:13AM
I've had my trusty bear Pooh ever since level 10 and he'll continue to stay with me despite all these fancy t-rexes and whatnot. They can't replace my precious teddy.
Keyra Oct 3rd 2008 7:06PM
On my hunter alt (hmm...can an "alt" be a higher level than your main? At what point does an alt become the main if you surpass your main and what then does your main become...AAUUGGHH...brain implosion...need beer), I have a cat. She's not anything exciting, just another nightsaber, but she was my first and I have grown quite attached to her. I have a wolf as well - great DPS and I use her in places like Arathi Highlands (yes, I'm still under lvl 40, so nyahh!) but there just isn't the same attachment as with my kitty :-)
Okay, so that sounded really girlie. Eh...who cares!
/me cuddles my kitty-kitty
Boven Oct 3rd 2008 8:13AM
For starters, I'll be taking my flamingo out of the stables more often. I've had him since my hunter was level 10 and he was my first pet to ding 70.
As far as exotics, I'm sorely tempted to go after a rhino just to see how well it can tank. I know gorillas are better, but I just don't like them danged dirty apes.
Ben Oct 3rd 2008 9:44AM
Sticking with my Raptor, Takk the Leaper, had him since level 20 back when rare spawn hunter pets had unique stats and his running speed could chase down epic mounts.
Wes Oct 3rd 2008 8:14AM
Rhino! Finally a way to knock back those pesky rogues and give me some space!
Tricia Oct 3rd 2008 8:16AM
I don't know what pet I'd want, since hunter and I do not mix well, but my husband's been on and on about corehounds and wasps since beta got under way. he has both on his beta character right now and other then their background noise, loves them a ton.
Annai Oct 3rd 2008 8:17AM
I'm with Flint. My cat -- (yes, a Humar skin) -- has been with me a *really* long time and will probably level up with me. I'm anxious to try a Gorilla, but since I'm probably going to give Survival a try, I won't need any of those exotics.
Vestras Oct 3rd 2008 8:19AM
I'd prefer to keep my owl, but I gotta say, the exotics are drawing me away from him. I'm thinking of getting Kergen since I don't like the normal corehound model. Alternatively, A standard silithid is really tempting
Siona Oct 3rd 2008 8:20AM
I'm sticking with my owl from Nagrand, Minerva, until WOTLK. At which point, I'm DEFINITELY going for the new wargs, or an eagle. ^^
GormanGhaste Oct 3rd 2008 8:19AM
I'm more excited about old pets being made viable than the new exotic pets. The first thing I'm going to do when 3.0 hits is go tame a crab. Then a hyena. Then a spider. I might get a silithid.
Utalin Oct 3rd 2008 8:20AM
I'm getting a Wasp and a Moth.