Summary
- Battle Pets in WoW vary by family, some having unique skills like speed buffs or self-repair abilities, with exceptions.
- Familiar critters like rabbits and squirrels often have abilities to counteract and beat the Undead effectively.
- Beasts and Mechanicals are powerful categories, with Beasts focusing on offensive abilities and Mechanicals providing handy survival tools.
The World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria expansion is preparing to drop on World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, and one of the biggest additions to the game is the Pet Battle system. This new minigame includes various types of animals, insects, cute furry critters, and magical monsters that players can capture, tame, and fight. There are hundreds of Battle Pets in World of Warcraft, and players have recently started the frenzy of finding and catching as many as possible. Pet builds, like individual characters, are also unique and varied, and not every animal has the same skills and abilities as those in their group.
The vast game contains hundreds of Battle Pets, so to make it easier to organize them, each belongs to a certain family. Most pets have abilities and skills that match up with their fmaily, but there are many exceptions. Part of the fun is finding those unique and powerful pets that can fight multiple types of enemies.
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There are exceptions to every rule, and not every pet is an obvious match with a certain type. The Little Black Ram, for example, looks like it should be a Critter. However, it's a Beast, and its powers are strong against the Undead.
S Tier: Critters, Beasts, Mechanicals
Fuzzy, Cute, and Surprisingly Powerful
Rank 1: Critters
Most of the small and furry critters of Azeroth fit into this category, making it one of the biggest and most varied, which is part of the reason it's on top. Every rodent, rabbit, squirrel, and mouse finds itself on this list. Their powers vary greatly, but they're all generally effective against the Undead.
Even the humble Rabbit has a speed buff and can burrow underground to avoid attacks, and the battle pets from the Fawn and Deer categories often have healing abilities. Small animals like snails and insects can be Critters, but they can also fit into the Beasts, Flying, or Aquatic pets categories.
Rank 2: Beasts
The mortal enemies of Critters, Beasts are predatory animals and include Cats, Snakes, and Scorpions. Since there are so many Critter battle pets, it's best to have a few Beasts to do bonus damage against them. Beasts focus on offensive powers, with a lot of abilities like Claw or Bite, but they tend to have few healing or defensive skills.
It's a good idea to have a couple of high-level Beasts on the team right from level one. Even their weak skills hit pretty hard in evenly-matched fights, but be careful when fighting Mechanicals.
Rank 3: Mechanicals
An ideal family for those new to the Pet Battle phenomenon, Mechanicals have some handy survival powers, like self-repair abilities and keeping a few extra hit points when they first get drained to zero. They're easy to find anywhere near places that also have Goblins and Gnomes. Players who are leveling their Archaeology should already have the Clockwork Gnome in their Pet Journal.
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A Tier: Aquatic, Undead, Magical
Powerful & Unique, With Mythical Origins
Rank 1: Aquatic
Most of the Aquatic pets players find at low levels are akin to Critters, such as frogs and toads, but there are some rare ones as well, like Glub the goldfish and the Magical Crawdad. They're often mistaken for Critters, and the types can overlap when it comes to animals like snails and crabs.
The frogs and toads in this family have useful defensive abilities, like Healing Wave and Frog Kiss, which can keep them up for a few extra rounds. Aquatic creatures often have self-healing abilities and are strong against Elementals.
Rank 2: Undead
This group includes ghosts, maggots, and "blighted" animals that live in the Plaguelands and Felwood. The Lost of Lordaeron are one famous example of an easy low-level catch, and players with a higher level can go to Northrend and get an Unborn Valkyr.
The Undead abilities are among the most versatile, and their powers include healing, defense, AoE spells, and DoT effects. Siphon Life and Curse of Doom will look familiar to Pet Trainers who also play Warlocks in the game, as these are smaller versions of two deadly Affliction spells.
Rank 3: Magical
Enchanted broomsticks, wish-granting lobsters, and faerie dragons are just a few examples of Magical Battle Pets. These pets are the most fun, with their wacky designs and unique powers and skills. The Teldrassil Wisp is one example, a must-have for Night Elf fans.
Magical pets are strongest against Flying enemies, but since they are magic, they often have several different skills that can be used against several different types of enemies. The trick is finding and leveling the best ones. Since there are so many different kinds of pets in this group, this can be a snag that puts them at a lower tier.
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B Tier: Humanoid, Flying
Handy, But Situational, With Fewer Ability Choices
Rank 1: Humanoid
The name implies that anything with a humanoid form would be in this category, and that's often the case with little variation. Players who have finished the Achievements connected to the Feast of Winter Viel Event will already have one called Winter's Little Helper. Humanoid pets can also include harpies, imps, goblins, and murlocs.
Humanoids are generally strong against Dragonkin, which are a relatively small group at lower levels. But their abilities are so varied it's difficult to know how to use pets in this group unless they've gone through a few levels.
Rank 2: Flying
The Flying category doesn't have a lot of variety when it comes to attacks or different types. Trainable Flying pets often don't appear in low-level areas, but the ones that do are often birds and moths, with some distinct members like the Pterrordax Hatchling for mid-level trainers.
Parrots are the easiest Flying pets to acquire. They can be found and captured in Stranglethorn or purchased from Narkk, a gobline with a vending stall in Booty Bay. The Gilnean Raven is another interesting example, but it's only available to Worghen characters.
C Tier: Dragonkin, Elemental
For Advanced And Complex Fighting
Rank 1: Dragonkin
Dragonkin generally have the best winning chance against Magical pets, but their mystical nature seems to give them a wider scope of abilities. They also do well against Flying and Mechanical foes. They fear Humanoids, who tend to seek them down and slay them and have powers that do extra damage against Dragonkin.
These are powerful creatures that look great, but they're hard to find, especially at lower levels. There are a few Spawn of Onyxia in southern Dustrwallow Marsh with the mice and snakes, but most of the popular and rare Dragonkin are drops in dungeons or rewarded for Achievements.
Rank 2: Elemental
Pebble, the brave little rock from Deepholm, is included in this category, along with other popular and famous entries like Lil' Ragnaros and the Nexus Whelpling. Players usually have to be a higher level and have completed the Molten Core raid to have a chance to find Lil' Ragnaros, so maybe a trip to Coldarra to find a Nexus Whelping is more realistic.
Elementals are the strongest against Mechanical enemies, which are tough when they appear, but are not as common as other pets. Pets in this family are better for more advanced fights, when specific skills are required.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
- Released
- December 7, 2010
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood and Gore, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Suggestive THemes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Base Game
- World of Warcraft
- Developer(s)
- Blizzard
