Patch 3.0.2 guide to Exotic Pets: Core hound
by David Bowers 
Oct 15th 2008 at 8:00PM
Core Hound:
If casters are giving you trouble, then the core hound is the exotic pet for you. Their Lava Breath ability slows down the enemy's casting speed by 50% for 10 seconds. The cooldown is also ten seconds, so you don't even need the Longevity talent to keep this up all the time, which is especially nice for PvP also. Their Ferocity talents give them lots of extra damage and self-healing options as well.
The core hound is the pet with the loudest footsteps in the game -- their feet pound the earth so hard it even makes everyone's screens shake if they happen to be nearby. So if you're the kind of hunter who likes to announce to the entire world, "Here I am! Look at me! Right here!" then this is the pet for you; but if you want to be sneaky and avoid attention, then you ought to look elsewhere.
BRK loves core hounds lots. There are three types to choose from: red hot, green hot, and white wolf; found in Blackrock Mountain, Shadowmoon Valley, and Azuremyst Isle respectively.
If you want a non-exotic alternative to core hounds, you could consider the serpents and their Poison Spit ability, which is almost just as good as the core hound ability, and ranged too! You won't deafen people and shake their screens with a serpent, but you'll do the trick just as well, more or less, especially if you have Longevity. Serpents are Cunning pets though, so you it also depends on which talents you prefer.
If casters are giving you trouble, then the core hound is the exotic pet for you. Their Lava Breath ability slows down the enemy's casting speed by 50% for 10 seconds. The cooldown is also ten seconds, so you don't even need the Longevity talent to keep this up all the time, which is especially nice for PvP also. Their Ferocity talents give them lots of extra damage and self-healing options as well. The core hound is the pet with the loudest footsteps in the game -- their feet pound the earth so hard it even makes everyone's screens shake if they happen to be nearby. So if you're the kind of hunter who likes to announce to the entire world, "Here I am! Look at me! Right here!" then this is the pet for you; but if you want to be sneaky and avoid attention, then you ought to look elsewhere.
BRK loves core hounds lots. There are three types to choose from: red hot, green hot, and white wolf; found in Blackrock Mountain, Shadowmoon Valley, and Azuremyst Isle respectively.
If you want a non-exotic alternative to core hounds, you could consider the serpents and their Poison Spit ability, which is almost just as good as the core hound ability, and ranged too! You won't deafen people and shake their screens with a serpent, but you'll do the trick just as well, more or less, especially if you have Longevity. Serpents are Cunning pets though, so you it also depends on which talents you prefer.
Filed under: Hunter, Expansions, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Saelorn Oct 15th 2008 8:16PM
Core Hounds don't move their legs when they jump, and they have difficulty running (which is likely just a display issue, and may be associated with either the Dash skill or possibly having Lava Breath auto-activated).
Graham Oct 16th 2008 1:55AM
That would explain why people in trade chat are asking "Why is the city shaking?"
:D
bendak Oct 16th 2008 7:13AM
Uvuros (green core hounds) don't shake the screen or have a flaming/fiery noise accompany them, only the ones from Molten Core do. I've tamed both. Not sure about the white one.
sarah Oct 16th 2008 11:43AM
the white one definitely makes the earthquake. i was so confused as to why the bank was having an earthquake last night, then i saw kraken at the teller's window next to me. depositing whatever core hounds find dear to them.
James Riggs Oct 16th 2008 9:10AM
Where exactly is the white corehound in Azuremist?
sarah Oct 16th 2008 12:17PM
he is in the north of the island in a cave in stillpine hold.
http://i.thottbot.com/en/Interface/WorldMap/AzuremystIsle/AzuremystIslebig.jpg
go into the cave, the path with fork in 2 directions, the right path goes up to the top story of the cave. the left path stays on the lower level, take the left path. then you will enter a room with water in it, he should be stomping around in there next to the water. if he isn't there, then someone got to him and just wait for him to respawn.
Yeng Oct 16th 2008 10:05AM
I sure hope they change it so that hunter pets don't shake the ground...its quite annoying.
Vlatch Oct 16th 2008 10:34AM
Anyone know if abilities like "Lava Breath" work on boss mobs in raids? I got my Kurken Core Hound last night and I was wondering whether I should bring it to ZA this weekend or if I should just stay with my moth. Balancing the damage increase b/tw exotic and regular pets base dps (exotic is slightly higher) and the special abilities makes it a difficult decision.
jaybarti Oct 16th 2008 12:14PM
I am currently hearing conflicting reports about the Beast in UBRS... Has anyone actually tamed the Beast.
Some hunters are saying its now tamable some are not?
I know it should not be possible since he is a BOSS and always for terms of player abilities +3 levels above effectively. And since hunters can only tame their LV or lower he should be off the taming table.
Chulmok Oct 16th 2008 3:36PM
i have tryed to tame the beast, he does tame!!! i was unsuccessful in taming him tho because of his knockbacks im sure someone at somepoint will find a way around this
jaybarti Oct 17th 2008 3:53PM
well its moot anyhow.
Its possible with just a Druid (who can heal) and a Hunter to Two man tame a MC Corehound.
All it takes is a little moxie and perseverance.
Basically you can bypass all the mobs by just hugging the right hand wall and running off the edge of the ledge by the 1st set of giants (we used a sacrificial pet to do distract the giants) and FD on the ledge. The druid simple stealth's past the same mobs and drops down on the ledge the hunter just did. Since druids now have an OOC rez if the hunter dies or falls in the lava (this does happen) the druid just rez's himback up and onto the ledge.
Then following the ledge and hugging the right hand wall you can get to the point of the instance where you start heading down to Gehennas. Right there if you drop down your basically safe, though I recommend staying up there and marking the 3 pathing Dogs with Raid Skittles so you know where they are. Also should the hunter position themselves right the druid can heal from the ledge while the hunter tames the pet.
It takes some practice but last night using my Healing pali (thank god for OOC rez LOL) and my Feral Druid. I got my Girlfriend the pet she has wanted since we 1st raided MC. The Classic Core Hound.
Note there are 3 mobs who path by/near this point. Go look up an old MC map with mob paths you can see the 3 core hounds you can get.
Also remember hunters the mob has to be attacking you in-order for you to tame it so plan it out so you can hit the Core hound with some big DPS shots before the healer goes after it. If needed bring in a second hunter for a extra MD threat boost.
Core Hound munching you good... Core Hound munching healer Bad.
Of course if you have access to 5 or more friends just raid the damn place and save yourself the stress, but it is possible to do this without a lot of people.
adders Oct 16th 2008 9:25PM
just spent an annoying hour and a half attempting to tame the beast, the trouble was he kicks you up in the air if you are too far away, is immune to any type of CC and hits like a truck, maybe if you took 4 pallys and got blessing of sacrifice?? on and just tame tanked him it would work other then that i cant see how it would be done
Vashaka Oct 24th 2008 8:31AM
depends on which core hound you tame..i read they said it needs a priest to tame spawn of Uso, but it took me solo cos i use the rock for it to turn around..another milisecond and i would have been feared. took 2 tries alone in shadowmoon.