This model can be found in the Borean Tundra, Sholazar Basin or the Storm Peaks.
I picked my new fellow from the Borean Tundra, right outside of the Horde Base there. He is named Brutus, a latin name that just jumped into my mind after I tamed him.
Appearance:
I love rhinos. Their wooly fur makes them so cuddly and Brutus is no exception to this. I love his always a bit grumpy expression and his size. I have a rhino with my Tauren and he's one of her favorite pets. I already had the grey rhino with Morga, but let go of him again, because I think they didn't match and now, after the pet challenge I finally know why. It's the eyes. They are red and have no pupils. The other rhino's eyes are brown or green, but the red really bothers me. I don't mind the lacking pupils, this just looks a little bit odd, compared to other's pets well designed eyes.
I personally think it's sad that they shrink so much after taming (same thing with Devilsaurs for me) but he still looks big next to Morga. And he looks really funny next to Morga in his Brunnhildar disguise for the daily quest although a bit grumpy (well like always) because he's not the biggest one around.
Sounds and animations:
The rhino's sounds are very nice. He makes some "huff and grump" sounds when you send him into battle and while fighting more grumping sounds. I think they fit his facial expression perfectly. Brutus is no loud pet and I like him this way.
I think there was a time back in Wrath that when you tamed a rhino it kept it's ground shaking stomping, so when you ran you always had the ground shaking. I can be mistaken, if so, please tell me. Now he just stomps at Morga's side without shaking the ground.
Brutus' idle animation is to shake the head from one side to the other and making a "humph" sound. Nothing spectacular, but kind of cute. For me he always looks like a child complaining to his mother "why don't we do something funny?".
His swimming animations... I don't think he likes the water. While swimming he looks like a big floofy rock floating in the water and while diving verey uncomfortable while paddling like a overgrown dog. But I understand, I don't want this mass of hair to dry again in the freezing cold of Northrend.
Fighting:
I specced Brutus towards a tank and went very well with it. My brother currently quests in Northrend, so I helped him out a lot with group quests in Dragonblight and quests in the dungeons, so didn't have to wait for a group. I always had Brutus out with me and he made a great job. He didn't lose much health, only once when I had him pull three groups in An'kahet. He held aggro very well, Thunderstomp helping a lot.
One thing I can't understand is his special ability "Stampede" that causes his enemies to take additional bleeding damage. Brutus is an exotic pet. As such I have to be Beastmaster to use him. As a Beastmaster I don't do bleeding damage. If I wanted to help out my group in a dungeon or raid by increasing bleeding damage, I would not take a rhino, but a hyena, which is ferocity, provides more damage and is not in every one's line of sight all the time. So in fact his ability NEVER helps me in my skill tree as Beastmaster. It's useless. I switch it off on my rhinos, so they can use the cooldown on their other abilities.
Conclusion:
Brutus is a very nice pet. I adore rhinos despite their completely useless ability (at least useless for me). They are floofy goofballs and I like having them around. I won't keep Brutus with Morga, because my rhino-love goes out to Larkania's rhino. Rhinos are really good tanks and I would love to have one as my tanking partner when I'm in Marksman, because then I would make use of his ability.
Next roll please:
Name: Morga (Orc)
Level: 85
Exotics: yes, Bm is his main
Restrictions: no diseased pets please
edit: Pets I already did a review on: but I'll do a review on one of these pets again, if you want me to, if you should roll on one of them.
with my Tauren Larkania: Dark Grey Gorilla, Red Nether Ray, Armored brown ghost boar, brown rhino, blue warpstalker, tan wolf, Aotona, black fox
with Nerdanel (Belf): green raptor, purple demon dog, purple parrot, blue raptor, blue vulture
Finduilas: yellow beetle, white chimera
Morga: armored black boar, grey rhino
with several others: brown scorpid, grey moth, diseased dark brown bear
just noticed: I did a lot of tenacity reviews
The system loves tenacity pets, admit it!
