Random Pet Family Appreciation Thread 9: Turtles!

[GormanGhaste]

One of my very first pets was a turtle; back when I didn't know anything about pet skills, I tamed a turtle named Echo for my third pet.

Turtles are some of my favorite beasts in the game, they're so peaceful. I've probably spent more time around turtles in-game than any other type of npc.

In Wrath, Kaimu was my go-to boss tank.

[falstad]

lol! my fire turtles name is torkal =D

[Miacoda]

So a while back I got this cute little green turtle on my Blood Elf. There was clearly a bond, but I just could not think of a name for him. Well, today I finally did so now I can formally introduce him as Scallywag!



The name was an ambush name. There was no talk of pirates or anything of the sort. I might have been thinking about scales and somehow gone to that? Or maybe he waggled his tail? I honestly do not know. I just thought of it and it was perfect for him. He's a little rascal of a turtle, but he's all happy-go-lucky and very friendly. He's also saved a few groups from wipes!
I've been debating on whether he might turn into a dragon turtle come MoP, but I think I'm leaning more toward him staying the way he is.

[Kurasu]

TURTLES! I LIKE TURTLES!

Well, someone had to say it.

Panzer has been my primary tanking pet for a heck of a lot of years. I can't even remember when I first decided that I needed a nice, pink (well, grey with pink on, but I always call him 'pink') turtle for tanking. It's been that long. I was young. There were only three stable slots. My Panzer occupied one for quite a while until it was obvious that he simply couldn't handle the threat needed (this was back in the day when turtles had a +20% armor, but a -10% ATK). When we were allowed five slots instead of three? He became a constant part of that.

Panzer has been tanking for me and my guild for nearly that amount of time. He has main tanked heroic instances in Northrend and Burning Crusades, handled raid-level tanking for a few locations, and even done progression-level offtanking in places like Icecrown and Ulduar, back in the day. i don't raid as much any more, but he has still occasionally popped out to be main or offtank for a few instances and group quests.

Nowadays, he is still my primary go-to tank for anything that I want to try soloing. Group quests, instances, old-style raids. With the MoP changes, he has been getting some vacation time, since the only things I solo are handleable by tenacity pets with no shell shield, but come MoP, I strongly expect my Panzer to be once more by my side. Particularly since I can respec him as a DPS turtle for questing!

Panzer has 'changed skins' at least three times during his lifetime. He has been a green turtle (I love the color), an ancient Sea Turtle, and even Terrorpene. And yet, all of these, after running with for a while, I have been unable to bond with them and released them for my beloved pink pet. It's possible that I may try again in MoP with a dragon turtle, as the sounds they make are extremely appealing to me. However, at the same time, Panzer is Panzer. I find it difficult to believe, after releasing Terrorpene for getting him back, that any other turtle could replace him just as he is.

EDIT: Realized I should have some pictures of my beloved.

Here he is after progression-level offtanking in Sarth:



Progression offtank at Kel'thuzad:



A duo of MGT when I was level 80:



Doomwalker at 80? Child's play!

[Finduilas]

I currently have one turtle, this one belongs to Finduilas. His name is Atuin. I'd tried to name him A'Tuin (a virtual cookie to the person getting the reference), but sadly apostrophes aren't allowed in pet names. He became my tanking pet number 1 after finally finding and taming him. Before I never really had a tanking pet I'd bonded with and changed between warpstalkers, rhinos and bears. Atuin came everywhere with me and was always in my top 5 list except when doing pvp. Now with the ability changes he gets some more rest, but I still like having him as my "emergency tank". He tanked several heroics when the tank died/left in random groups, he tanked the firelords of Sethria's roost for me and my fiance. I just love him.
I had posted this pic somewhere in the transmog section, so it's not a current one, but I think it looks so pretty I want to use it again. And apart from the now missing stat stick Findu's set hasn't changed. These two just belong together.

[Rosalie]

When the new skin for Ghamoo-ra came out I knew I had to have it. I named him after my WoWBFF because he's always protecting me when I noob it out in dungeons for alt runs and other awesome things.


Rosalie and Eric.