The purpose of this thread is a quick and basicanswer session to some of the more common questions asked by new hunters as well as try and cut but on the number of sticky posts in the forum that each have different tips and hints to give.
Please feel free to add your helpful tricks and tips to this thread, but I would please ask to try and keep discussion within this thread to a minimum to aid in reducing clutter. Let's leave this as a resource thread rather than a chat thread.
Warning, this thread is forever a Work In Progress
Q :- Can I rename my pet?
Yes. Those with the Inscription profession can create a scroll with five charges that will allow you rename you pet. Also, check the Auction House for scrolls as sometimes they appear there as well.
Q :- When I try to tame a beast, it usually fails because the beast interrupts the tame cast by knocking me back or down, what can I do?
A common trick is to set a freeze trap at max range then commence you tame. When the beast gets to you, it will be frozen ni place, giving more time for your tame cast to complete with less interruption. Some hunters do this with the addition of firing a concussive arrow to slow it down as well as freeze it in place.
Q :- If I tame an elite beast, will it stay elite?
No. Once tamed, it have the same stats as any non elite beast you tame.
Feel free to edit or do whatever with these, if they help.
Q :- What is the best pet to tame and bring to raids for dps?
Currently, wolf pets take the top spot due to Furious Howl scaling so well with both survival and marksmen hunters. Second to that, Raptor's Savage Rend is powerful but with a minute cooldown can be harder to manage.
--For Beastmastery hunters, the exotic Devilsaur's ferocious bite does the most damage.
Q :- Are we really limited to just two or three pets if we want to raid?
No. Most pets will dps sufficiently enough that they won't completely gimp your hunter or make you feel less useful. Also, pets with a useful skill like the worm can add an armor debuff to the boss if the raid is lacking one and so on. Truly, the best pet for you is the one that suits your overall playstyle and sense of asthetics.
While the wolf takes the top spot by a distance right now, Blizzard has already stated they don't want just one pet to be the "raider's pet of choice". Since the beginning there have been many "best pets" that have come and gone with Blizzard either nerfing them or normalizing a specific damage type. We can expect a change to happen up to or during Cataclysm that will open up new possibilities for those wanting the "best pet" for them.
Q :- What are the best pets for PvP?
The preference for pvp trends towards pets that snare, root, disarm and disrupt spellcasting. The choice then for you is which one seems more useful per your playstyle and strengths/weaknesses. If you want an edge up on melee, a bird of prey with snatch would be preferable, while the nether ray's "nether shock" might work to your favor in a fight with spellcasters. Most of the Cunning pets will have the strengths you are looking for in PvP.
Q :- I can't think of a good name for my pet!!
Then ask us on the forum for ideas!! The forum allows for many individuals from diverse backgrounds to help you come up with the perfect name for your perfect pet. Read through the posts already made and there is a chance someone else already tamed it and had the same trouble as you.
Q :- Why can't I tame this beast? Its a beast, right? I'm a beast tamer!! I must have him!
The powers that be have decided based on certain lore reasons and game mechanics that beasts should be grouped into families, making some beast npcs to be untamable. While most of us feel this to be an incredibly inconvenient limitation, it is their game and they can do what they want. BUT! Each new expansion brings more possibilities for new beast families to be added to the game, meaning new types of beasts to tame and possibly some old ones too. Keep your chin up and someday you may get the pony you always dreamed of. (or Giraffe)
Q :- Why can't Fluffy stay happy for five minutes? Do I always have to feed him?
Pet happiness and having to level your pet are just two of the many systems that used to inconvenience hunters. Even so, they have made strides to even out even those two mechanics to become less of a pain. Grab the "Glyph of Mend Pet" and say goodbye to that stack of mutton you are accustomed to feeding Fluffy with. Then, just cast "Mend Pet" every now and again when he gets fiesty. There are also pet talents like Carrion and Bloodthirsty that can allow Fluffy to take care of his own happiness.
I don't really feel like this is so much the "Post-Modern" era as much as its the "Pre-Zombie-Apocalpse" era. I consider myself more of a forward thinking guy and an era that just won't die is just as feasible as a coming era, where the dead come back.
Epicfail wrote:Q :- What are the best pets for PvP?
The preference for pvp trends towards pets that snare, root, disarm and disrupt spellcasting. The choice then for you is which one seems more useful per your playstyle and strengths/weaknesses. If you want an edge up on melee, a bird of prey with snatch would be preferable, while the nether ray's "nether shock" might work to your favor in a fight with spellcasters. Most of the Cunning pets will have the strengths you are looking for in PvP.
Two of the most popular PvP pets at the moment are spiders (cunning) and crabs (tenacity). Some BM hunters still favor ferocity pets as well.
(Obviously, there's room for a whole debate on this, but I don't think the question would be complete without mention of spiders/crabs.)
Epicfail wrote:Q :- What is the best pet to tame and bring to raids for dps?
Currently, wolf pets take the top spot due to Furious Howl scaling so well with both survival and marksmen hunters. Second to that, Raptor's Savage Rend is powerful but with a minute cooldown can be harder to manage.
--For Beastmastery hunters, the exotic Devilsaur's ferocious bite does the most damage.
I've seen it written on EJ before that wolves are still the top choice for BM hunters as well, but I'm not 100% sure if that's still the case. At the very least, the difference is quite small.
Last edited by Kalliope on Sun Feb 07, 2010 5:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Don't forget ravagers. Their spell is on an eerily short cooldown, it prevents movement and interrupts spellcasting. Also, they are cunning, so they get all the PvP spec thingies.
