Pet Roster and Flow Chart for Cata

[PonTelon]

Just wanted to share some of the "homework" I've done in prep for Cata. Using MMO-Champ's list, and Scatter Shot's list I have not only created my working pet list(4 active pets, plus 5th for later), but also a flow chart for which pet to use. It should be noted that I primarily work in 5-mans. Raids would probably move WindSerpent up in magic-heavy settings.

My non-BM PvE active pets lineup:
Wolf: Ferocious: +5% Crit (Using Slick, my oil-covered worg)
Serpent: Cunning: Sunder Armor
Ravager: Cunning: +4% Physical damage. (Raptors give same buff and are Ferocious, but I have irrational hatred of them)
WindSerpent: Cunning: +8% Magic Damage.

5th Slot: Wasp(? Still not sure) Using Aristophanes, my Silthid-looking Wasp from Sholazar

Logic Flow-Chart:
1: Warrior Tank?
No: Serpent(Warn Rogue/Druid/Warrior)
Yes: move to 2

2: Arms, Combat, FrostDK?
No: Ravager
Yes: Move to 3.

3: Fury, Feral, Subtlety, or Elemental?
No: Wolf.
Yes: Move to 4.

4: WindSerpent.

This simple Flow-chart shows me which pet to use and would fit on a Sticky-note.

That being said, any tips on good skins for Ravager or Serpents? What would you suggest for my 5th slot?

What do your flow-charts look like? This is obviously tailored for 5-mans, and focused on ease-of-using-buff for the other classes(Serpent is easiest way to get Sundered Armor, for example).

First time posting, long time lurking. Love Petopia! It got me to level my Hunter many times(I have bad alt-itis) by pulling on my Pokemon-game-riddled childhood.

[Bellatryx]

I really like this idea a lot.

To actually contribute or make one of my own I'd actually have to research the changes in length.. but I found playing on my PTR hunter.. I like the raptor right now.. it has a sunder armor of sorts.

[Sarayana]

I love the idea, it's similar to how I pick my totems when I'm on my shammy. (No DK? Strength of Earth. So on.)

It seems to me that there are many more buffs we'd be able to cover. I haven't had a look to see if they're exclusive to BM though. I'm just saying that it seems more complex (to me anyway ).

I love the idea of a post-it cheat sheet though, I'll have to go through those lists at some point.

[Kalliope]

Hmm....I'll have to do some checking/thinking, especially since I have to carry a PvP pet too.

[Valashe]

From http://www.wow.com/2010/09/13/scattered ... sign-pass/

The buffs/debuffs by type and who brings it:

* Agility and Strength death knight, shaman, warrior
* Armor shaman, paladin
* 10% AP marksmanship hunter, enhancement shaman, blood death knight, paladin
* Burst Haste corehound (exotic), shaman, mage
* 3% Damage beastmastery hunter, arcane mage, retribution paladin
* Health silithid (exotic); warlock, warrior, priest
* Mana Pool mage, warlock
* Mana Regen paladin, shaman, warlock
* Replenishment shadow priest, frost mage, survival hunter, destruction warlock, retribution paladin
* 5% Crit wolf, devilsaur (exotic), fury warrior, feral druid, subtlety rogue, elemental shaman
* 20% Melee Attack Speed shaman, frost death knight, retribution paladin, survival hunter
* 5% Spell Haste shaman, balance druid, shadow priest, destro warlock
* 6% Spell Power mage, shaman
* 10% Spell Power elemental shaman, demonology warlock, fire mage
* 5% Stats shale spider (exotic), paladin, druid
* 12% Armor Debuff serpent, raptor, warrior, rogue, druid
* 10% Physical Damage Debuff bear, warrior, druid, protection paladin, warlock, blood death knight
* 30% Bleed Damage Debuff rhino (exotic), boar, hyena, arms warrior, feral druid, subtlety rogue
* 30% Cast Speed Slow sporebat, sorehound (exotic), warlock, rogue, arcane mage
* 5% Spell Crit Chance Taken fire mage, warlock, mage
* 25% Healing Taken devilsaur (exotic), arms warrior, fury warrior, hunter, rogue, frost mage, shadow priest
* 10% Melee Attack Speed Debuff tallstrider, warrior, death knight, feral druid, protection paladin
* 4% Physical Vulnerability worm (exotic), ravager, arms warrior, combat rogue, frost death knight
* 8% Spell Damage Taken dragonhawk, wind serpent, warlock, unholy death knight, balance druid, assassination rogue

[Shavahi]

... Am I the only one who read the title as "Pet Rooster" instead of "Pet Roster" and got excited about a tamable version of the magic rooster mount?

[Paurixote]

As it stands now, these are the pet buffs we can bring that can also be overridden by other classes:

No Druid or Paladin? pet Shale Spider: 5% all stats
No Shaman or Mage? pet Corehound: burst haste
No Destro Warlock, Warrior or Priest? pet Silithid: +health
No Fury Warrior, Feral Druid, Subtlety Rogue, or Elemental Shaman? pet Devilsaur, pet Wolf: 5% Crit
No Warrior, Rogue or Druid? pet Raptor, pet Serpent: 12% Armor Debuff
No Warrior or Druid Bear, Prot Paladin, Blood DK or Warlock? pet Bear: 10% Physical Damage Debuff
No Arms Warrior, Feral Druid, Subtlety Rogue? pet Boar, pet Hyena, pet Rhino: 30% Bleed Damage Debuff
No Arms Warrior, Combat Rogue, Frost Death Knight? pet Ravager, pet Worm: 4% Physical Vulnerability
No Warlock, Unholy Death Knight, Balance Druid, Assassination Rogue? pet Dragonhawk, pet Windserpent: 8% Spell Damage Taken

+Magic and +physical dmg pets should be valuable.
+Crit looks to be coming from not the most popular specs.
Bleed dmg and armor reduction won't be great for Survival, but are important for the other 2.
5% Stats, burst haste, +health are some of the most important stats, but also most likely to be covered by another party member.
No reason to bring a bear if you plan on grouping with a tank .
Keep in mind a few pets will be getting some changes to their special abilities, like Cats who still have Rake, and Spirit Beasts who still have Spirit Strike.

[Sarayana]

But we have to remember that some of those are tenacity. While their buff/debuff is valuable, it's possible the damage difference between the two classes of pets outweighs the benefit of that buff. After all, we manage without these buffs right now.

In BM, I might grab a serpent, a corehound, a devilsaur, a shale spider (for soloing), and a raptor, based on that list. As MM the list would probably be serpent, wolf, raptor, croc (simply because I looooove my Spirit of Atha), and a wind serpent.

This way I'll be able to cover a range of buffs/debuffs and bring loads of utility, but emphasis is on my ferocity/cunning pets, not tenacity.

[Predatauren]

Let's go, Pikatchu!

No, seriously i like this idea of a lil pet team.

[PonTelon]

Essentially, for non-BM hunters, there are only 7 different de/buffs you can provide(not counting utilities like stun/root/slow).

I don't think +Bleed is as important as the other five personally. Specs high in bleed effects(Subt rogue, Feral Druid, Arms warrior) already give that benefit, often automatically(Arms) or in buttons they WANT to press(Subt/Feral).

About the Bear:
After looking at it, bear should not be totally tossed out. Let's look how the tanks apply it:
Paladin: Hammer of the Righteous(AoE 8 yrds), or Crusader Strike(single-target). Usually up on everyone in 3+ groups, otherwise single target.

DK: Scarlet Fever(Blood Boil): AoE 10 yrd. Blood Rune. 30 seconds. Already casting this spell!

Warrior: Demo Shout. Costs 10 rage. 10 yrds, every 30 seconds.

Druid: Same as warrior.

So basically, all of them cost something, have to be used every 30 seconds, and in the Paladin's case, isn't always AoE. Paladin and DK it's tacked on abilities they are already using, while Warrior/Druid have to go out of their way to use it.

That being said, Bear being Tenacity will probably lower it's usefulness(as is Worm Vs Ravager, even for BM hunters), but I wouldn't toss it out as a viable pet.

I know when I tank on my warrior or druid, Demo Shout/Roar is usually the last thing I think to cast. Not having to worry about it would definitely be a boon.


I think HOW a class gives a buff is as important as what specs CAN. Yea, all rogues and warriors can give the Sunder Armor effect, but tanking warriors and assassin rogues are the only ones who either do it in their normal rotation or it costs them nothing(assassin).

[Mockingbird]

I wonder if the bear is meant for more soloing - the demoralising roar not old causes AoE aggro (at least, the player abilities with the same effect do) but also reduces incoming damage.

I agree that in a group it seems of... limited worth.

On a similar threat-related note, I wonder how the spirit beast's heal works re: threat? Might be handy to have it cast on itself, but probably only of minor usefulness for all that.

[PonTelon]

On a similar threat-related note, I wonder how the spirit beast's heal works re: threat? Might be handy to have it cast on itself, but probably only of minor usefulness for all that.

I'd wait on Spirit Beasts and Worms specifically, since we know all Exotic pets get both a Special ability and an Exotic ability, yet they don't have both yet. I'm hoping one of them gets +10% AP. Though I'm sure some MM hunters would be upset about BM being able to get the same buff(like all of the other classes QQing right now).

And as for pet threat, Tenacity tree looks unchanged, and still has Thunderstomp and all the other threat talents still.

[Kalliope]

Bears aren't the only ones with that debuff; I would expect a carrion bird to be the pet to show up in raids to bring their demoralizing screech.

Unless the pet talent trees get made available to all the families, then there still isn't a huge reason to bring a bear to a raid. However, I look forward to the ability for soloing. (Isn't that right, Ursa? *pets bear*)

[Worba]

Bears aren't the only ones with that debuff; I would expect a carrion bird to be the pet to show up in raids to bring their demoralizing screech.

Unless the pet talent trees get made available to all the families, then there still isn't a huge reason to bring a bear to a raid. However, I look forward to the ability for soloing. (Isn't that right, Ursa? *pets bear*)

URSA! That was the name of my first pet!

I still miss her sometimes

[Kalliope]

URSA! That was the name of my first pet!

I still miss her sometimes

<3

You can get her back!

My Ursa's never left my side (though he has gotten stabled for lengthy periods), and he's the first pet I call on for Silly Raid Tricks. His shining moment was offtanking Moroes at level - good lil' bear ate the blind. But he did have to keep his threat high to do that. He also rather enjoyed doing Dreamwalker not too many weeks back. One of the paladin healers wanted to try a trick with beacon of light to heal Dreamwalker faster, but it didn't work. Ursa and I shrugged and managed to outdps the majority of the raid. As useful as swipe was there, it would have been fantastic if he could have brought demoralizing roar to the mobs on the pally tank. I'm sure another opportunity will arise for that.

[Worba]

True. I just may call her back from the wild once my stable grows - she would make a nice alternative to my turtle.

[Brackenhawk]

I'm actually a little bummed that even after all these cool buffs I'm still going to have to use...a wolf.

Maybe I can convince someone in our group to reroll for Cata

[Malazee]

Based on the discussion in this thread. Hope it helps...

[Vephriel]

Ooh, that looks really helpful. ^^ Thanks Malazee.

[PonTelon]

Thank you Malazee! That is amazing! I particularly like the Star for the last one. XD

My life needs more flow-charts like that.