Analysis of new Pet Abilities

[Nymrohd]

Gah I thought it was changed.

[Kalliope]

Nope.

But that does mean Blizzard isn't done.

Also, I totally failed at noticing this last night cause I was half-conscious, but that change to Hunting Party I posted on the previous page got me to thinking/checking....

Survival hunters are getting Windfury.

This also means that we'll benefit from the Windfury totem again, due to the changes.

So we definitely won't be seeing any pets with this ability. But hey, that frees up a replenishment-like effect for a pet.....

[Silvarain]

this new spirit beast info kinda makes me a sad panda im going to have to let Jean go to make room for a skin i have no interest in asap just so i can have a spirit beast ready for when cata hits. Jean is the easier to re-tame and hopefully blizz will throw in a SB skin ill love but id like to avoid the whole "ur BM so get out ur SB or im finding one who has one". and its kinda sad that the bug types have no group de/buff thing going on

im so hoping that blizzll get rid of the staple masters and well be able to change out all 25 whenever we wish (minus the CD of course)

[Slickrock]

I think my Spirit Beasts will be permamently stabled. I can't see bringing a pet with Prowl and a Heal over another pet that provides a better boost.

Only time I can see myself using a Spirit Beast is a situation where I'm taking unavoidable AOE damage.

My 4 main pets will be a Trex, Sillithid, CoreHound and a Shale Spider. I don't see that changing, unless we get something amazing in the finishing of the pet pass.

[The Insect Man]

Blizz have anticipated you, Slickrock - "maybe the heal isn't enough to drive people into hours of staking out ridiculously rare spawns!" That's why they gave them the agi/str raidbuff as well

I don't mind rare spawn skins for the dedicated pet hunter. I do mind a rare spawn entire family that is then given unique and advantageous abilities. That's just asking me to commit to hours of wasted time.

'Course, give me a spider SB and I'd spend it

[Slickrock]

Blizz have anticipated you, Slickrock - "maybe the heal isn't enough to drive people into hours of staking out ridiculously rare spawns!" That's why they gave them the agi/str raidbuff as well

I don't mind rare spawn skins for the dedicated pet hunter. I do mind a rare spawn entire family that is then given unique and advantageous abilities. That's just asking me to commit to hours of wasted time.

'Course, give me a spider SB and I'd spend it

Did I miss a change to the Spirit Beasts?...

[Slickrock]

The "wow factor" for me is Kill Command being a button I want to press, deciding when to convert Frenzy stacks to Focus Fire stacks (assuming that's a choice and not a matter of hitting FF on CD), deciding between Arcane and Cobra as filler shots based on my current focus level and the Wild Hunt change meaning that my pet probably won't be getting saturated with focus even with all the pet regen talents.

Ahh, this is a good summary. There's STUFF TO DO as BM now. That to me makes it more like the other specs.

Not anymore... back to Arcane spam unless they fix KC. That's what upsets me the most about the nerfs, We are back to what everyone derides BM for.

[Slickrock]

Lo and Behold, the updates from the new patch: http://db.mmo-champion.com/spells/?prim ... mary_skill

Some changes:
Birds of Prey get Trick which is like Fox's Play, cosmetic.
Chimaeras get Froststorm breath, AoE damage?
Rhinos get Horn Toss, a 1min CD knockback
Spirit Beasts get Roar of Courage, the +STR and AGI buff & Spirit Walk which is essentially Prowl (they keep Spirit Mend as well)
Worms get Burrow Attack, AoE damage?
Cats are listed with just Prowl:(

OK, looks Iike Spirit Beasts are worthwhile again. Probably really good for soloing.

Good. More choices.

[Nymrohd]

Btw the missing pets are missing because of tagging errors. Here are the
Shale Spider: http://db.mmo-champion.com/skill/817/shale-spider/
Monkey: http://db.mmo-champion.com/skill/815/monkey/
Beetle: http://db.mmo-champion.com/skill/818/beetle-3-9/

[Palladiamorsdeus]

KC is fine. It was way to powerful for what it was before, an instant attack low cooldown ability. It's still doing VERY respectable damage, and you'd never want to hit arcane shot if KC was off of cooldown. Unless your pet just wasn't in range or something.

[Slickrock]

KC is fine. It was way to powerful for what it was before, an instant attack low cooldown ability. It's still doing VERY respectable damage, and you'd never want to hit arcane shot if KC was off of cooldown. Unless your pet just wasn't in range or something.

Care to post some damage numbers?.. If it had a 60% damage reduction and it still matches the other specs for a special attack?....

[Nakari]

You also have to take into account a lot of things affect KC that are not obvious at first, namely BM's mastery and pet happiness as well as all other percentage damage modifiers the pet gets (ie. from pet talents), so just looking at the base damage + AP scaling isn't enough. My guess is whoever at Blizzard put the numbers on the previous iteration of KC didn't realize that, resulting in a rather overpowered ability.

[Palladiamorsdeus]

Can't post any numbers, the patch isn't up on Beta yet. Also keep in mind that those formulas on MMO-champion are EXTREMELY wonky, and that's at best. It'll be a nerf, and probably a hefty one, but I am almost positive that it's being blown way out of proportion. Also Slick, it was hitting as hard or HARDER then KILL SHOT. I was easily criticaling anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 damage on mobs, and that was on a low cooldown, instant attack. Not to mention that pet basica attacks JUST got a massive boost, and are now seeing criticals anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000, and thats in my level 83 quest gear.

[Rulah]

Yessssssssssssssssssssssss @ Spirit Beasts getting a useful ability with some group utility!

[Slickrock]

Can't post any numbers, the patch isn't up on Beta yet. Also keep in mind that those formulas on MMO-champion are EXTREMELY wonky, and that's at best. It'll be a nerf, and probably a hefty one, but I am almost positive that it's being blown way out of proportion. Also Slick, it was hitting as hard or HARDER then KILL SHOT. I was easily criticaling anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 damage on mobs, and that was on a low cooldown, instant attack. Not to mention that pet basica attacks JUST got a massive boost, and are now seeing criticals anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000, and thats in my level 83 quest gear.

Well, that brings to question.. what is the point of BM supposed to be?... If KC is supposed to be hitting weaker than all hunter shots, that's fine, except BM doesn't have a special then. I think the real problem here is a design flaw. People are upset with pets doing that much damage, but the BM 'special' IS something delivered by the pet.

What is the biggest damaging attack of BM supposed to be? We don't have a Chimera or Explosive, and if pets aren't supposed to do that sort of damage, what is BM supposed to be doing? Doesn't Chimera or Explosive hit harder than Kill Shot?

Or is BM supposed to just be a huge swarm of tiny hits?.. I really would like to know what the design goal of BM is.

[Kalliope]

Doesn't Chimera or Explosive hit harder than Kill Shot?

NOPE.

Least not on live.

[Palladiamorsdeus]

Can't post any numbers, the patch isn't up on Beta yet. Also keep in mind that those formulas on MMO-champion are EXTREMELY wonky, and that's at best. It'll be a nerf, and probably a hefty one, but I am almost positive that it's being blown way out of proportion. Also Slick, it was hitting as hard or HARDER then KILL SHOT. I was easily criticaling anywhere from 14,000 to 18,000 damage on mobs, and that was on a low cooldown, instant attack. Not to mention that pet basica attacks JUST got a massive boost, and are now seeing criticals anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000, and thats in my level 83 quest gear.

Well, that brings to question.. what is the point of BM supposed to be?... If KC is supposed to be hitting weaker than all hunter shots, that's fine, except BM doesn't have a special then. I think the real problem here is a design flaw. People are upset with pets doing that much damage, but the BM 'special' IS something delivered by the pet.

What is the biggest damaging attack of BM supposed to be? We don't have a Chimera or Explosive, and if pets aren't supposed to do that sort of damage, what is BM supposed to be doing? Doesn't Chimera or Explosive hit harder than Kill Shot?

Or is BM supposed to just be a huge swarm of tiny hits?.. I really would like to know what the design goal of BM is.

BM is SUPPOSED to be about the pet, which is where they are trying to focus it. KC works through the pet, but more then that BM has more ways of restoring pet focus and of buffing the pet's focus regen, which is important to keep Wild Hunt in effect. So far it's working, and BM's pet's are doing very, very well with enough attention from the hunter. That's the key phrase, with enough attention from the hunter.

[Silvarain]

the spirit beasts heal is nice and all but any word on pet mend? does it heal more, or crit, finally? is it still a button to press and forget or is it channeled now?

[Nymrohd]

It looks like cats also get the same buff with the spirit beasts (the +Str & Agi buff)
http://db.mmo-champion.com/skill/209/pet-cat/

Also Boars get Rest like Bears do.

So what we are missing is the special ability of the Shale Spider (all pets get a special ability and a basic attack, exotics get an exotic ability which for Shale Spider is the BoK effect) information on the beetle family and a clarification on Froststorm Breath and Burrow Attack, two AoE attacks on non-ferocity exotics that are right now the only damage abilities on pets beyond basic attacks.

[The Insect Man]

Non-exotic cats get a raid-level buff? Oh come on...