I'd like to see more exotic beasts with "on click" skills

[swimgremlin]

Having been a loyal BM player since they implemented "exotic" beasts, I'd love to see more "on click" pet skills. Ever since Cata hit, I feel like most pets were turned into buff/debuff bots thus taking away from their personality (again my opinion).

Currently, chimeras, worms and rhinos are the only on click combat abilities that come to mind. I find I lean towards using these pets because I find them more fun. A well timed burrow attack can help a hunter compete for top AoE dps (which is why I was mad about the nerf but w/e).

I like these skills, and like any class, utilizing all of your abilities isn't necessary to be competitive, but allows you to go above the norm.

I'll use some existing untamable mobs as examples of what I'd think would be good on click skills.

Hydra, (Tri-thrash)-Hydra stands in place thrashing heads furiously at area in frontal cone dealing "x" damage per sec. Channeled. (think flay like the Deepholm mobs or monks fists of fury).

Stag/Yak/Talbuk, (Impale)- Pet impales an enemy on their horns thrashing them around for 3sec dealing "x" damage per sec (think Gore ability from last boss of Gun'drak).

Kodo/Mushan/Clefthoof, (Tremor)- Pet stomps the ground knocking down all targets within 5yrds for 1sec and dealing "x" damage.

The reason I think they would suit exotic creatures is so that the hunter isn't missing out on key buffs/debuffs many pets are brought for. They would be great exotic skills even if not applied to said families, and could be built upon.

TLDR, I'd like to see more exotic abilities be made into "on click" use so they're not shorted buffs and debuffs many pets bring, but give you the incentive to choose the exotic pet over its normal counterpart.

[SpiritBinder]

Yay and Nay for me. The old BM hunter in me would have really liked this, though the beasts and skills you list are not even tamable (Is this a wish list thread?) BM hunters prior 5.0 had a lot less to worry about and a little more micro managing of pets (espcially as a BM hunter) would have been a nice add to the mix. As much as I still like this concept, now in 5.0, I feel BM has received so many buttons to push that another one would make me /shudder.

The other thing is, realistically in a raiding environment, your pet choice will be irreverent as long as it covers the missing buff needed. If all buffs are covered, and you have a staple amount of high demand utility (eg. B.Rez, Heals, Hero/Lust) then some extra AOE/low demand utility would be great (though most if not all DPS components should be removed from them to make this fair and equitable)

[swimgremlin]

Not so much a wish list. I was just using current untamables for an "in theory" case. I agree, BM has gotten quite a few nice additions, and I'm thankful for that. But as I mentioned, I'm not a fan of he buff bit concept, but it seems heavily to be a deciding factor.

Pre 5.0, I swapped pets frequently in dungeons/raids. My worm was there for AoE pulls, Devilsaur for most boss fights, beetle if we needed a few sec for tanks to recover (mine took several impales on madness). I feel like utilizing your pets for more then just a buff gives you a little extra depth. Plus, I feel like pe micro management should be expected to play BM to its fullest.

Sorry, hope it doesn't sound like an elitest attitude, but I feel these exotic skills do add to the pets charm/character. Pre 4.0, all pets were very unique, but naturally not all skills suited raiding environment. Those old skills would suit an exotic pet and give you motive to bring them over a standard pet.

[Maizou]

Although it's not a combat skill, Water Striders water walk ability is on click. I love freaking people out by spamming it. Makes it look like it's eating. :3 Quilen also have a battle res, which is also on click. And Core Hounds have heroism. xD

I know what you're referring to though, and to a degree, I agree.

[Novikova]

I'm sort of on the fence about it. It's irritating when I click the pet ability and it sets of the GCD but doesn't GO. I also have to pay attention to my rotation, keep the pet in a good spot, etc. That's a pretty good amount of stuff to be doing. Factor in latency and weird pathing (Hi, Rhino who can't use kill command on a target dummy!), I prefer skills that I know will go off.

[swimgremlin]

I can understand that. I feel like I have more control with on click skills though, but even with auto cast skills, I'd like them to bring back some of he old removed ones. Cats for example used to have a bleed for example which could easily be added to the Devilsaur rather then a healing debuff which hunters can manually apply. Like I said, I don't feel these things should be huge dps gains, but rather incentive to bring exotic pets as BM opposed to normal ones.

I am however a fan of spirit mend, ancient hysteria, water trot and he new brez we're getting. Utility is great for exotic abilities too, but like buffs, many times they're already covered and highly situational.

[Ziarre]

I'm not a fan of Ancient Hysteria as it stands, which is why I don't really agree with this. If it's on the GCD, it's asking to be a pain in the ass. :c

Not to say a Heroism/Lust is bad, but spamming it to try to get it to fire IS.

[Aggannor]

I'm not a fan of Ancient Hysteria as it stands, which is why I don't really agree with this. If it's on the GCD, it's asking to be a pain in the ass. :c

Not to say a Heroism/Lust is bad, but spamming it to try to get it to fire IS.

Then you are likely pleased about the fact that Blizzard took Ancient Hysteria off from global in this patch. So no more spamming.

[Lisaara]

I'm not a fan of Ancient Hysteria as it stands, which is why I don't really agree with this. If it's on the GCD, it's asking to be a pain in the ass. :c

Not to say a Heroism/Lust is bad, but spamming it to try to get it to fire IS.

Then you are likely pleased about the fact that Blizzard took Ancient Hysteria off from global in this patch. So no more spamming.

Thank the lords. ;-;

[Ziarre]

That is amazing and welcome news. It's rare that my guild lacks a shaman or mage in the raid, but pugs are another thing entirely.

[swimgremlin]

I'd like to see that implemented with all on click skills. I agree it is a hassle to sit and spam a pet ability when they keep autocasting bite etc, thus wasting focus.

[Kurasu]

I'd like to see that implemented with all on click skills. I agree it is a hassle to sit and spam a pet ability when they keep autocasting bite etc, thus wasting focus.

Actually, most, if not all, on click skills are like this. Any of them with a long CD. Lust/Heroism was the only one that *wasn't*.

[swimgremlin]

Hadn't noticed cept when I kept spamming burrow attack on long aoe fights.

[Lisaara]

They are correct. Most on click abilities need to be annoyingly spammed just to get them to work.

[Akycha]

They are correct. Most on click abilities need to be annoyingly spammed just to get them to work.

I've not had that issue with Burrow or Froststorm Breath in a long time. The only issue I have with burrow is sometimes he's a bit focus starved at the beginning of a fight. I have it macro'd and on my actionbar so I can keybind it, dunno if that makes a difference. The only one I've had issues with of late is my core hound. If I wanted to hit it, I have to pull him back to passive.

[Lisaara]

They are correct. Most on click abilities need to be annoyingly spammed just to get them to work.

I've not had that issue with Burrow or Froststorm Breath in a long time. The only issue I have with burrow is sometimes he's a bit focus starved at the beginning of a fight. I have it macro'd and on my actionbar so I can keybind it, dunno if that makes a difference. The only one I've had issues with of late is my core hound. If I wanted to hit it, I have to pull him back to passive.

I've had issues with Burrow and AH in the past. Froststorm didn't use focus I don't think but controlling where it goes is a pain.

[swimgremlin]

Same. When I used a chimera I just macroed frost storm breath to multishot. You couldn't do that with a worm because if you opened with multishot, he'd burrow at your feet. :-p. the focus cost was only an issue for me in long aoe fights, so I'd have to toggle bite on/off, and forget thunderstomp (since when I heavily used my worm he was forced tenacity).

Ultimately though, I preferred burrow to frost storm breath. I felt it took more skill with timing and placement to pull it off, and as a reward, it hit harder!

[Lisaara]

Same. When I used a chimera I just macroed frost storm breath to multishot. You couldn't do that with a worm because if you opened with multishot, he'd burrow at your feet. :-p. the focus cost was only an issue for me in long aoe fights, so I'd have to toggle bite on/off, and forget thunderstomp (since when I heavily used my worm he was forced tenacity).

Ultimately though, I preferred burrow to frost storm breath. I felt it took more skill with timing and placement to pull it off, and as a reward, it hit harder!

I love my worm to death. I just hate it when people move the mobs off his burrow, wasting his ability. And the cooldown is long. XD