Pet Usage Flowchart and Ability Spreadsheet

[Rhyela]

I do want Cunning to be competitive with Ferocity, but in my mind it should not be equal to or better than Ferocity, since Cunning pets have more health and armor. However, I don't want Cunning to be so far behind that they're useless in raids - where many Cunning-only buffs would be very beneficial.

[Sarayana]

I do want Cunning to be competitive with Ferocity, but in my mind it should not be equal to or better than Ferocity, since Cunning pets have more health and armor. However, I don't want Cunning to be so far behind that they're useless in raids - where many Cunning-only buffs would be very beneficial.

I couldn't agree more. It'll take some tweaking, but hopefully this is what Blizz eventually settles on.

[Nimizar]

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that Cunning was meant to be doing more DPS than Ferocity, just that it made sense that they were given the current state of the scaling and the trees.

GC weighed in today to clarify that the common scaling with AP is intentional, but that Cunning having higher DPS than Ferocity is not. So expect to see some pet talent tweaks to fix that (e.g. just changing OF to proc a cheap basic attack rather than a free one would probably do the trick).

[Sarayana]

Yeah, I didn't mean to imply that Cunning was meant to be doing more DPS than Ferocity, just that it made sense that they were given the current state of the scaling and the trees.

I'm sorry if I sounded accusatory, I didn't mean to imply that you favoured the current situation or anything... I was just giving my 2c.

GC weighed in today to clarify that the common scaling with AP is intentional, but that Cunning having higher DPS than Ferocity is not. So expect to see some pet talent tweaks to fix that (e.g. just changing OF to proc a cheap basic attack rather than a free one would probably do the trick).

That's exactly the news I was waiting for. Thanks for the linkage.

[Malazee]

Not much new to update, but I did add snares/slows to the pvp-ish ability list as suggested -- not at all confident that I got everything.

Also, since we haven't seen any more pet updates and the patch is nigh, I'm going to assume that all the pets who haven't recieved official updates are going to stay as is for Cataclysm, so I've removed the "assumed abilities" section from the spreadsheet. All the pets on that list already had appropriate abilities, save Turtles. My guess is that Shell Shield will (eventually) be changed to some demoralizing roar-like ability akin to Bears and Carrion Birds, but for now Shell Shield is still unchanged on the PTR.

And I'm pretty pleased about the way things are going for Cunning pets btw. I'm glad that they'll be competitive with Ferocity pets dps-wise, so that hunters won't be hurt badly by having to bring a cunning pet for a specific buff. But I agree that the extra survivability they get grants that they should be slightly behind Ferocity pets in DPS. It seems like this is Blizzard's aim, and so all is right with the world as far as I'm concerned.

Poor, poor tenacity pets, though.

[Kalliope]

Actually, there were a handful of changes.

Worm burrow picked up in damage and also gained a stun component. I'm pretty stoked that worms get an AoE stun on a 30s cd. That's going to make them VERY nice tanks and useful PvP pets. It's essentially the equivalent of warstomp.

Dogs picked up a root, lock jaw. That makes a root available to hunters in each pet tree! That certainly gives us some options.

I agree about your choice to move in the still-unchanged abilities. If those are getting changed, it's not going to happen for a while.

[Malazee]

Actually, there were a handful of changes.

Worm burrow picked up in damage and also gained a stun component. I'm pretty stoked that worms get an AoE stun on a 30s cd. That's going to make them VERY nice tanks and useful PvP pets. It's essentially the equivalent of warstomp.

Dogs picked up a root, lock jaw. That makes a root available to hunters in each pet tree! That certainly gives us some options.

I agree about your choice to move in the still-unchanged abilities. If those are getting changed, it's not going to happen for a while.

Wowhead has failed me! Re-update inc in just a moment, then. Were those changes announced or just discovered? If the latter... quick, someone go tame a turtle and tell me the status on Shell Shield. I really don't think they want to leave that as is.

[Kalliope]

Announced, I believe; they're up on MMO here.

[Malazee]

Announced, I believe; they're up on MMO here.

Oh for goodness' sakes, I'm retarded.

Alas my poor turtles... you may yet be forgotten.

BTW, this means I'm going to have to tame a dog now, and I don't like any of the skins available to Horde. I want a black one. Unless they've added in a Horde version and I just don't know about it -- then I'm happy.

[Kalliope]

You are not! It hasn't been up that long.

Turtles will be okay if they get to keep shield wall, in all honesty. It's a killer ability.

I get the feeling we have yet to see all the available mastiffs.

[Protego]

No, "skewing the numbers in Cunning's favor". I don't agree. Anyways ha, I'm glad Ferocity pets are gonna do more damage than Cunning pets, as they said. That's just fine. Worms got their damage before the latest Beta "build" came out. Anyways I know how you say the Worm's description Kalliope. Too bad you removed the "assumed abilities" section. I wouldn't have, if it was my "spread sheet". And poor Shale Spiders and Beetles haven't gotten their Special Ability still.

[Acherontia]

Not sure if this has been noted yet, but out of interest, the Devilsaur's Monstrous Bite (-25% MS effect) -stacks- with the MS hunter's shot. Widow venom or w/e.

I know who I'll be getting out for PvP come Cata--as if I wasn't using him already

[Malazee]

Too bad you removed the "assumed abilities" section. I wouldn't have, if it was my "spread sheet".

Well if those pets get updated abilities, I can very easily change the spreadsheet again. No biggie. At this late point in the PTR cycle, it just doesn't seem like they are going to be changed. We shall see...

[Protego]

Okay, Malazee. And that's awesome that the Devilsaur's Monstrous Bite stacks with Widow Venom!

[Kalliope]

What....

lol.

That's going to get so nerfed, lol. >_<

[Acherontia]

I dunno, it's only 50% combined. It's still really nice to have a "proper" MS though (still, if you have Aimed Shot now).

[Kalliope]

I dunno, it's only 50% combined. It's still really nice to have a "proper" MS though (still, if you have Aimed Shot now).

But *all* mortal strikes were nerfed. We shouldn't get a 25% advantage over every other class.

[Darco19]

Please add replenishment to druids (http://cata.wowhead.com/spell=48545) on the buffs spreadsheet. Also, Retribution Paladins can also do a physical damage reduction debuff (http://cata.wowhead.com/spell=26016).

[Sinius]

U did amazing work on that. Rly, Rly good

Best friends

[Malazee]

Please add replenishment to druids (http://cata.wowhead.com/spell=48545) on the buffs spreadsheet. Also, Retribution Paladins can also do a physical damage reduction debuff (http://cata.wowhead.com/spell=26016).

Vindication is a 5th tier Protection talent, so I don't think we'll be seeing too many Ret paladins pick it up. But I've added Resto druids to the replenishment list... a healer with replenishment (gasp!), that's kinda OP!

Thanks for the info!