Stable Cuts and Minipet Naming

[Kyria]

Since we've been given six new pet families and no extra stable slots, a lot of us are naturally struggling to make space for new pets! However, with Mists of Pandaria introducing hundreds of new minipets to choose from as well as the ability to name them whatever you like, a few of us have already found that some of our combat pets are finding new roles as companion pets that share the same skins, freeing up precious stable slots without forcing us to sever any bonds. Some pets, I've personally found, have even become more precious to me when they shifted from combat to companion. Are any of your pets going to shrink when MoP goes live? If so, which ones?

[Vephriel]

I really do love the option this gives us, I have a few pets I'm managing to let go of knowing that they can stay with me in another form. Being able to name them really helps. With the incredible amount of new minipets we're getting in MoP, there's going to be a lot of shared models with tameable beasts, so it gives us some wiggle room if we have a pet that we like but may not be super attached to as a full blown pet necessarily. I had a handful of pets that I kept because I liked their model, and I grew fond of the name I gave them, but I didn't use them that often, so mini versions will be perfect.

I won't post about all the downsizing I'm doing, but I will post about one particular decision I made the other day.

Some people might know about Azzam, the inexplicable dreadsaber that I tamed back in WotLK and who became one of my most bonded pets. He was one of those pets that I said I would never be able to release, and in a way this still holds true, but I've realized I can let him become the minipet Cheetah Cub and still have the same attachment. See, the thing about Azzy is...he's not a model that I like. I never would have picked the dreadsaber on my own if it wasn't for the circumstances that led me to bond with that cat specifically. I love Azzy for who he is, but he has never looked right in my stables. Before him I'd never had luck bonding with a cat in game...and now in the beta, I've found I have a complete connection with Khan, the new black tiger model. This is a cat that I genuinely feel belongs to Veph. I like him fully in name, model, and character. I'm not insinuating that this is just 'replacing the old with a new shiny' situation. I really feel that it works. So with all this I just realized...it's time that I can let go of Azzy, but keep him in a different form. He'll still be there with me, but in a way this new cub form will suit him even better. He'll be the playful, suave companion with all the personality he always had, and he can stay out with me whenever I want.

[Miacoda]

Cae JUST gave me this idea! I shall be downsizing my tallstrider, Spazzranache, into a mini pet. I only really use him for cheering up, because the new tallstrider run irks me a lot, so I can't like, run around with him a lot, but I think he's amazingly fitting as a little one. <3
Still seeing if there are any others that I can downsize, will update if that ever happens.

Spazzy in live


Spazzy in Beta!


He's certainly more spazzy now!

[Kalliope]

Well, I'm still working on things, but I currently am shrinking three pets to mini size! Arachne's going back to her green tarantula form, and both parrots (Icarus and Circe) will be shrinking as well.

Depending on some of my other cuts and whether they have minipet equivalents, there might be more. Between minipets, morphing pets, and just plain letting some go, I'm looking at around seven or eight empty stable slots, pre-additions. With numbers like that, I might actually be able to allow a pet or two I'm not as close to just for a buff/debuff.

The minipet versions are preferable to just cutting them entirely, though. I'll have to keep hunting through the new minipets for more equivalents.

I haven't even touched Kallimon's pets yet, but I have a feeling his stable's going to empty out quite a bit. I think the original Tabasco (Kirix!) will be returning.

[cowmuflage]

Knowing me I'm bound not to name anything XD I don't plan on doing heaps of taming maybe one pet or something :/

[Kalliope]

Knowing me I'm bound not to name anything XD I don't plan on doing heaps of taming maybe one pet or something :/

This isn't about capturing new minipets; it's about converting existing pets into minipets. Even minipets you might already have!

[cowmuflage]

I know I'm saying I'm bound not to do that XD

[Rhyela]

Is there a place that lists them all out with pictures included? I can't imagine trading any of my pets in for a smaller model, but maybe a couple of them will seem better to me as mini-pets. I've seen lists of just names of them, but no pictures.

[Neilaren]

This is a really good idea! And I already know I'm going to be painstakingly naming every single last one of my companion pets in MoP, because that's just the kind of person I am.

I don't know if I have any pets I could downsize at the moment. I haven't looked too hard at all of the new wild minipets. One that would totally make sense is my nether ray, Terrato. He's like my pet mascot, and is definitely Neilaren's best friend. Back in Wrath, when I only had 5 stable slots, I had a friend "watch" him for me while I used the room for other pets (that is, they tamed the same nether ray and named it Terrato), and happily had him returned in Cataclysm. And since I've always thought of him as a domesticated pet, and not a battle pet, he doesn't see much time spent in raids, just while I'm out and about. If I downsized him, it'd make sense to me, and then he'd always be following Neilaren everywhere.

But... is there a new minipet with the green/yellow nether ray skin, now? The Nether Ray Fry is unfortunately the wrong colors.

[Kalliope]

Ohh, Neilaren, I'm in the same spot. :/ I was considering downsizing Castor and Pollux, but I haven't seen a minipet nether ray with those colors yet. :/ There is a new one coming in with MoP, but it's the red skin. That doesn't mean there won't be one, just that it hasn't been seen yet.

But hey, if there are now two, maybe there will be another....

[Equeon]

Exactly my thoughts! I'll be glad to get a lost pet back with a small Red Nether Ray, among others.

[GormanGhaste]

This is a lovely idea! I don't usually have problems rearranging my stables at the start of an expansion, but I was throwing up my hands at trying to come up with so many mini-pet names.
Honoring hunter pets I've released is a great naming idea. I doubt I will Name All The Pets though, probably just my battle team and other favorites, and if I feel particular inspiration.

[Lupis]

I think I'll downsize my red nether ray, but as far as I can tell, that's it for now. >.< I'll be naming my Coyote Spirit after my wolf but I already abandoned said wolf.
I just don't have that many pets I tamed for the looks, my stables are very tightly managed.

[Vephriel]

This is a lovely idea! I don't usually have problems rearranging my stables at the start of an expansion, but I was throwing up my hands at trying to come up with so many mini-pet names.
Honoring hunter pets I've released is a great naming idea. I doubt I will Name All The Pets though, probably just my battle team and other favorites, and if I feel particular inspiration.

*nodnod* Same here, I'm not sure if I want to individually name the 500+ minipets we're looking to get. I'll certainly name my favourites though, and ones that I used to have as pets that I now consider miniature forms.

[Kurasu]

Oh my *God*. I love this idea! This might give me a chance to always have Olm with me if there's a little white owl. Yes, I know he's transparent blue now, but... still! OLM! And a white serpent, so I could keep Suresh! Maybe there's a mini-Timber!

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! <3

[Sesamee]

Wow, I totally didn't even think of doing this. I'm sure I can come up a few pets I'm ok with having as mini companions instead of full blown hunter pets. I guess because I kind of see the whole of Azeroth as an extension of my stable so when I release a pet I still think of them as "mine" and retame them every so often I just never thought of moving any to "mini pet status". But what a great idea! Hmm, gonna have to do some thinking on this.

[Kyria]

Oh my *God*. I love this idea! This might give me a chance to always have Olm with me if there's a little white owl. Yes, I know he's transparent blue now, but... still! OLM! And a white serpent, so I could keep Suresh! Maybe there's a mini-Timber!

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH RIGHT NOW! <3

Haha, happy to help! This is part of why I started this thread. On top of giving the other people who had this idea a place to talk about it, I hoped to bring the idea to some new people it might work for. I'm glad that I seem to have succeeded.

[Ziarre]

Oh man, this is a great idea. My 'Broken Tooth' Nala could return as a companion pet!

[Quiv]

if only they made spirit beast companions!

[Ziarre]

I'll...pass on that, thanks. Companions aren't just for hunters, and I'm not sure I'd like everyone running around with a mini-Loque.