The official WoW Facebook page was updated with some interesting screenshots as well as some cryptic commentary on the images.
"Tales of their existence will soon come to fruition in Mists of Pandaria."
It's likely that the mount and companion pet will be the Mists of Pandaria Collector's Edition redeemable gifts, but there's no official word yet. We'll just have to wait and see!
Enjoy our monthly web comic created for WoW pet collectors! We feature a new World of Petcraft strip each and every month.
About the Artist Meaghan McLaughlin is an aspiring artist and the author of "Nerds Illustrated." She's currently available to create custom artwork of your WoW characters for a modest fee.
Wowhead News has a preview of the Black Market Auction House that includes a list of possible pets that will be for sale. [source]
Unlike other Auction Houses, players won't be able to post auctions on the Black Market. Only NPC vendors will have the luxury of selling on this new AH. Expect to see our favorite pet-loving gnome selling an item every now and then!
What's For Sale?
Most companions will have a starting price of 10,000 to 20,000 gold with no buyout option.
The companions that have popped up on this new AH include, but are not limited to:
Three TCG pets (Dragon Kite, Hippogryph Hatchling, Bananas)
So far no new pets have been spotted on the BMAH.
While the Black Market Auction House will be an optional source for some pets, it's unlikely that it will be a reliable or efficient way to acquire a large number of companions.
That being said, though, Breanni is still sure to accumulate quite a profit through her sales on the Black Market.
A new beta build was recently released. Datamined from the patch are many pet-related achievement changes and new additions. [source]
Oh, and did we forget to mention that Pet Battles will finally be available for testing?
Get Ready, Fight!
Pet Battles is officially open for testing on the beta servers. [source]
There will be many questions and concerns regarding this new feature, so be sure to check out the WarcraftPets Forums for all the latest news and updates on Pet Battles! Also check out Blizzard's official Pet Battles preview page on their Mists of Pandaria website.
Stay tuned for more information and updates as we thoroughly test and analyze Pet Battles on the beta!
Pet Achievements
Many pet-related achievements were updated, and a handful of new ones were added. Here are just the newest ones:
Take Em' All On!: Win a pet battle aginst a pet of every family.
Going to Need More Leashes: Collect 300 unique pets.
That's a Lot of Pet Food: Collect 400 unique pets.
Taming the Great Outdoors: Defeat 15 wild pet tamers.
Taming the World: Defeat 45 wild pet tamers.
Trainer Extrodanaire: Earn 100 pet battle achievement points.
Check out the full list of achievement changes here!
Four New Pets
Not only were new achievements added, but four new pets! [source]
Porcupette - Bind on Use
Yu'lon Kite - Bind on Pick Up
Chi-ji Kite - Bind on Pick Up
Jade Tentacle - Bind on Use
The Jade Tentacle will be replacing the previously assigned reward, "Zookeeper" title, but don't worry! This title can still be earned through the achievement World Safari.
Both kites are Inscription crafted pets. They were first discovered as on-use items and therefore were not true vanity pets. However, in the latest beta patch they've been upgraded into items that teach actual companions.
UPDATE: The Pet Battles feature will be available on live servers on the release date of the expansion, however it will be available to all players and not require MoP. [source]
The much anticipated testing of Pet Battles has begun on the beta. Although it is ready for testing, it is still a work in progress, so don't be surprised if there are some kinks and bugs to work out.
Knowledge Is Power
Before jumping into this addicting activity, be sure to check out the official Pet Battles page to familiarize yourself with the updated Pet Journal UI and layout.
Don't forget to read through Mumper's FAQ on the beta forums. This thread answers a lot of questions about the mechanics of Pet Battles gameplay.
And check out this video preview of Pet Battles, courtesy of Wowhead News.
Getting Started
Training for Pet Battles is straightforward. Simply visit your local Pet Battles trainer in any major city. This NPC will also teach your character a specific pet just for your toon's race for a small fee. Each race has a "racial" pet, many of which can also be purchased from a vendor.
After training the ability to battle, quests will open up via the NPC trainer. This quest chain will unlock objectives to find and defeat different Pet Tamers in certain zones and ultimately the Grand Master Tamer on the continent. Doing so will unlock daily quests to go up against Pet Tamers!
You will want to complete at least the early quests in the questline and battle wild pets since the PVE aspect of Pet Battles will help unlock each team slot and award a significant amount of experience for your companions.
Once you've unlocked all three pet slots for a complete team, you can choose to either concentrate on finding and fighting wild pets or you can start queuing up for the Pet Battle matchmaking system. The PVP aspect will award less experience than if you opt for challenging and defeating the Pet Tamer NPCs.
After training Pet Battles on one character, all toons on your account will have the Pet Battling ability and access to your Pet Battle team. A level 5 companion will remain a level 5 pet across all of your characters. Note that although the Pet Battles ability will be available for all characters after training once, you can still complete the questline once on each toon. This might change in a future beta patch.
Tips for Beginners:
Pick multiple pets to level up. - It's easy to stick to just three, but as you progress, you may find that you need to rotate companions in and out of your team. This will be easier if you have more than just one team of similar level.
Choose pets of varying Family Type. - The starting areas for Pet Battles will mainly have Critter and Beast opponents, so it might seem convenient to use pets that are strong against these two types, but the Pet Tamers that you come across won't be using just Critters and Beasts. These NPCs aren't pushovers when it comes to Pet Battles either.
There are some pets that will not fight, no matter how hard you try to bribe them with pet treats and toys!
Remember to right click on the pets you wish to concentrate on leveling up and selecting "Favorite". This will help you find pets quickly for swapping in and out of your team.
A Wild Pet Appears!
You'll notice a new tracking ability option for your mini-map. The ability to track wild pets is trained simultaneously with Pet Battles training, and allows you to see the wild critters that you can fight and possibly capture.
Although there are many critters in the world, you can fight and capture only those with the green paw print above their heads.
To challenge a wild pet, simply right click on an eligible critter. Sometimes you will receive an error that there is an obstruction preventing the battle from starting. Try to move to a more open area before engaging the wild pet.
A wild pet must be at 35% of their health or lower before the option to capture them is unlocked.
If you fail on your first attempt to capture a pet, either try again or bring the wild pet's health down a little more before attempting to capture.
As you progress through each zone, you will find yourself up against more than one wild pet on a team.
The second and third wild pet on the opposing team will not be known until you engage in battle with a wild pet. Once in the Pet Battle UI, though, you will see the stats and Family Type of the other pets. It's best to determine which wild companion you want to capture before making your first move since you may only capture one wild pet out of the three.
You must win the Pet Battle with the wild pet(s) in order to keep the one you captured. If you lose the battle, you will not receive the wild pet.
Curious about which wild pet spawns in what zone? Each pet will list its source in the Pet Journal. Just hover over your companion's image icon in the preview window in the journal, and you will see where you can find that pet.
Additionally, the WarcraftPets community has set up threads dedicated to listing all the wild pets and their spawn locations.
Earning Experience and Leveling
Leveling up is the name of the game; the higher the level, the better your companion's stats will be, which can give you a slightly higher chance of success in battle!
Only pets that actively take part in an encounter will earn experience. Those that aren't switched in during the battle will not earn experience.
Pets that die during combat will not earn experience.
Higher level opponents will award more experience.
A "difficulty bonus" is sometimes awarded, either for especially long fights or encounters with high(er) level opponents.
Leveling up will unlock new abilities for your pets. You will have three ability slots per pet, but you can switch these abilities between battles.
New abilities are unlocked at levels 1, 2, 4, 10, 15, and 20.
Pet Stats, Qualities, and Family Types
All pets have stats that can affect combat, however only wild pets can be of a unique quality. They can come in the form of Poor, Common, Uncommon, and Rare. Perhaps even Epic and Legendary wild pets exist somewhere out there too!
Currently there's no mechanic or ability to see what quality type a wild pet is before you capture it. Each wild pet is randomly assigned a quality, and the main way to guess it's possible type is to check its stats and health after engaging in combat. The higher the numbers (for its level) means a higher chance that it will be of better quality. Only after you capture it will its quality be revealed.
In addition to stats and qualities, pets will be categorized into Family Types. The certain family type abilities and passive bonuses your pets have can help (or hurt) your chances for success in a battle, and having different types on your team is often suggested but it's not mandatory.
Ready, Set, Fight!
Whether you are fighting a wild pet, a Pet Tamer's pet team, or another player, there are some things to keep in mind.
Pet Battles combat is turn based, and the pet that has higher Speed will use their attack first each round. A golden box surrounding the pet's portrait in the Pet Battle UI will indicate which companion will get to strike first each round.
Currently there is no timer between each turn and you may take your time to choose what ability to use next, but this could change in the future.
You may switch to a different pet on your active pet team during the fight, but it will use up a turn.
Some pets have buffs and debuffs that persist even if you switch to another pet. For example: The Tranquility spell that Pet A casts will also affect Pet B if you switch to Pet B during combat. Another example is a debuff on your opponent persisting even though you change to use a companion who does not have that debuffing ability.
Pets can dodge and block and attacks can miss. This is mainly based on RNG, however there are some abilities that specifically state a high chance to miss or reduce the chance to dodge an attack.
Many pet-related achievements were updated in the latest beta patch, and one of the achievements rewards a new pet! [source]
Changes were made to quite a few pet-related achievements. The points that are rewarded for them have been reduced by half for many of these achievements. [source]
The Going to Need More Leashes achievement has been changed, and now only requires the collection of 250 unique pets (down from 300).
Previously, the Feral Vermling was the reward for completing the achievement Zen Pet Hunter (Capture 200 pets in a pet battle). It has been moved and is now the reward for Going to Need More Leashes (Collect 250 unique pets).
That's a Lot of Pet Food (Collect 400 unique pets) rewards a new companion, Venus!
What type of pet could Venus be? We're going to have to wait for a hint, but here's hoping that it's out of this world!
The notes for the 5.0.4 PTR are now available and detail the content that will be available in the patch that will come before the Mists of Pandaria expansion release. [source]
Account-Wide Collections and Pet Journal
In the pre-MoP patch, pets will be merged into a single collection. Companions will be account-wide and accessible from any of your characters, even those on other servers on that particular account. Also, if a character that initially learned a companion is removed, your collection will still retain the pet.
Unfortunately, players will not be able to summon and use any pets that are faction-specific. [source]
These pets include, but may not be limited to:
Argent Squire or Gruntling
Guild Herald
Guild Page
Horde or Alliance Balloon
We have yet to confirm if the faction-specific Moonkin Hatchling will also join this list.
In addition to account-wide collections, the Pet Journal will be making its debut. This unique and updated UI will hold all of your companions as well as provide extra information, such as health stats and the source for each pet.
Because of the introduction of the Pet Journal, the companion tab in the spellbook will be removed, and pets will only be accessible through the new journal interface.
It was mentioned in the Pet Battles FAQ that multiple versions of the same pet from multiple toons on an account will be merged into one in the Pet Journal. Extras will be placed in your inventory and/or mailed, however, it's unclear if this is intended to occur as soon as collections become account-wide or after Pet Battles is released.
What Will Not Be Available Pre-MoP
Pet Battles will not be available for play in patch 5.0.4. This new minigame will unlock on the release date of the retail version of MoP, but will not require the expansion. [source]
Although we will have to wait for this awesome new feature, with over 200 new wild pets to collect alone (not including all the new companions that can be collected through traditional means), it will certainly be worth the wait!
There are some important pet-related topics on the beta forums of which collectors and players in general should be aware. Blizzard is leaving the threads open so that the community can add their feedback and input, but let's remember to keep the discussions on these threads mature and constructive.
Cannot Trade/Sell Wild Pets
Blizzard announced a change to the trading and selling of wild pets in MoP. [source]
We just finished a pass making all pets that are caught via pet battles in the world non-tradeable. This means these pets cannot be put in cages for trading or posting on the AH. We felt that the option to buy these pets on the AH would take away from the exploration/collection gameplay of the system.
This could always change in a future patch, but this is how it will go out with MoP. You should see the change in our next build.
Keep in mind that this decision may not be final, and this might only be a temporary fix until a better solution is found and implemented.
Some Pets Upgraded In Quality
There are a number of non-wild pets that many would argue deserve a higher rarity quality. Blizzard has compiled a list of possible pets that will be upgraded to rare status, however this list is not yet final, and developers are welcoming feedback and suggestions on which pets should be added or removed from the list. [source]
Keeping the Discussion Going
For players who are not participating in the beta, and therefore unable to respond to the threads linked above, feel free to voice your thoughts and opinions on our WarcraftPets forums.
The change to the trade and sale of wild pets as well as the adjustment to non-wild pet qualities might not be set in stone yet, so let's continue to provide constructive feedback for developers, while keeping an open mind.
Pet Tamer Battles
According to Mumper, there are more Pet Battle updates and changes coming to the beta in an upcoming patch. [source]
Unique Tamer emotes
Unique Tamer pets
Tamer battles have been tuned up in difficulty
One Grand Master Tamer per continent. Defeating him/her will unlock all the daily's on that continent.
The flow has been consolidated to work though our two main trainers in Stormwind and Orgrimmar.
They have implemented more than 40 Tamer fights across the entire game. This does not include the boss fights!
Daily quests on Grand Master Tamers offer the Sack of Pet Supplies as a reward.
A new achievement reward for defeating all the Tamers. A "Tamer" title.
All of the quests to fight Tamers are now account-wide. This means that the one-shot quests can only be completed by one character on your account. The daily's can be completed by any character, once per day. Account wide quests are denoted in the quest log.
Warbot Fuel
The Warbot was available to players (USA only) in August of 2009, during the Mountain Dew Game Fuel special promotion. Along with this pet, eligible players received red and blue Warbot fuel that they could use on these unique pets so that they would engage in battle with other Warbots of opposing fuel color.
Once the promotion ended, both the companion and the fuel were no longer available.
However, in a recent announcement it was revealed that the Warbot fuel would be returning and players would again be able to obtain fuel and fill their pets with this charged up juice. [source]
There will be a way to get Warbot fuel in MoP. Still figuring out the specifics, but we are going to make it happen.
So not only will players and pets be able to engage in Pet Battles in MoP, Warbots will have the chance to fight each other outside of official encounters again. The big question: What color will you choose?
UPDATE: The mount and the pet from the Collector's Edition and the Digital Deluxe Edition are Battle.net account wide. [source]
Blizzard has officially announced the release date of the next expansion pack, Mists of Pandaria. Players will be able to enjoy the new content starting on September 25, 2012. [source]
Players will have four purchasing options for the upcoming expansion. [source]
The standard box edition of MoP
The Digital Download
The physical box version of the Collector's Edition
The Digital Deluxe Edition
A New Way to Obtain the CE Pet
Traditionally, the only way to obtain an expansion's special redeemable in-game vanity pet was to purchase and attach a Collector's Edition copy to your Battle.net account. However, MoP will be the first expansion in which there will be an alternative to buying the physical copy of the CE.
Blizzard is offering a Digital Deluxe Edition of MoP for $59.99 USD. For more information, check out the official Digital Deluxe Edition page.
In addition to being able to pre-download the new content and play the moment MoP launches, this version of the expansion will also come with the Collector's Edition companion, the Lucky Quilen Cub (pictured below), and a new mount.
Players may still purchase the physical box copy of the Collector's Edition from retail locations for $79.99 USD. Only a limited number of copies will be available, so inquire at your local game store for more information. This version of the game will also come with the redeemable companion pet and mount, as well as many other gifts.
Upgrade Later
Players can purchase the standard version of the expansion now, but can upgrade to the Digital Deluxe Edition for an additional $20 later. So if you start your travels through Pandaria and find that it feels a little lonely, you can always claim your very own Lucky Quilen Cub at a later date!
MoP Beta Key Sweepstakes!
Can't wait until September 25 to get your first taste of Pandaria and all the wonders of MoP?
Starting July 31, Blizzard will be giving away a total of 15,000 beta keys! [source]
Each Tuesday over the next five weeks, Blizzard will randomly select 2,000 winners to receive a MoP beta key, and every other winner will also receive a second key for a friend.
To enter, just follow Warcraft on Facebook and then complete the entry form. Players have from now until August 27 to enter for a chance to win.
UPDATE: According to some observations from our WarcraftPets community, there were a few notable changes and updates to the Pet Journal and Pet Battles in the most recent beta patch. You can read all about it here!
There's a new beta build, and there are tons of new and updated pet items and achievements. Not to mention two new pets were datamined as well!
Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm CE Pet
Two new pets were datamined, one of them being the Collector's Edition pet for the upcoming Starcraft II expansion, Heart of the Swarm! [source]
Baneling (Bind on Battle.net account)
Pandaren Water Spirit (Bind on Use)
It's unknown where the Pandaren Water Spirit will come from, however it's quite clear that the Zergling will soon have a friend to join forces with in WoW! Better watch out Grunty and Mini Thor.
Professions Updates
Many professions were updated with plans, recipes, and schematics related to pets! It's still unclear where these recipe will come from.
Cooking: If you're an in-game cook, be on the look out for the recipe that teaches how to create the Red War Fuel and Blue War fuel. Both the recipes and the created items are Bind on Pick Up and require a cooking skill of level 1 to learn.
Engineering: Speaking of the Warbot, there's good news for players who missed out on the promotion for this fuel guzzler. Engineers will have the honor of being able to craft the Warbot companion! A Bind on Pick Up schematic for this pet was discovered. The schematic requires an Engineering skill of level 450, and the created item is BoP as well.
Jewelcrafting: It was already speculated that Jewelcrafting would be the source for the Sapphire Cub and Jade Owl pets, and this has been confirmed in this beta patch. Both designs are Bind on Pick up, as are the crafted items. To learn how to create the cub and owl, you will need a JC skill level of 600.
Achievement Updates
Pet collecting achievements have been slightly adjusted, and the "Tamer" title is back! These achievements are account-wide. [source]
Going to Need More Leashes (Collect 250 unique pets.) - Rewards Feral Vermling
That's a Lot of Pet Food (Collect 400 unique pets.) - Rewards Venus
Time to Open a Pet Store (Earn 400 pet battle achievement points.) - Rewards Jade Tentacle
Taming Azeroth (Complete all of the Taming achievements listed below.) - Rewards the title: Tamer <Player Name>
New Pet Items
Is that wild Stunted Shardhorn of yours constantly stepping on your toes? Do gnomes flee in terror when you have your wild Clefthoof Runt out, for fear of being squished by this large companion? Developers have created a solution for you - Magical Mini-Treats!
In the same way that Papa Hummel's Old-Fashioned Pet Biscuits and Magical Pet Biscuits temporarily enlarge the size of the targeted companion, Magical Mini-Treats are fun snacks that will shrink a pet for as long as it remains by your side.
Is pet size not getting you down, but the lack of class for your prestigious Murky has you shaking your head? Well, don't fret. There's a new pet leash, the Exquisite Murloc Leash!
This leash is guaranteed to add some sophistication to even the most unruly looking of murloc companions. We're looking at you Murkablo!
Note: It's unclear if this leash is specifically just for murloc pets or if it can be used on any companion.
Keep in mind that the following developer responses are from the beta forums. Things are subject to change and there may be updates to the mechanics mentioned below before the official release of MoP.
Limitations On Multiple Pets
A recent blue post seems to indicate that while players will be allowed to have multiple versions of most pets, players will not be able to keep more than one version of some uniquely obtained companions. [source]
Yes, you will be able to have 3 of almost every pet. Certain pets are unique since they are attached to a Wow license, granted from an achievement or earned from TCG codes.
World PVP In Pet Battles
In another blue response, it is revealed how developers currently plan on addressing the possibility of players encountering world PVP while engaged in a battle with a wild pet. [source]
The fact that players are vulnerable to PvP attacks while in a pet battle is intentional. However, a couple features that go along with this are not implemented yet.
First off, the exact pet you were fighting when you were broke out of pet battle will be respawned. Same quality, stats and skin color. Second, you will get a 3s damage shield that absorbs 50% of incoming damage to help negate the fact that you need time to recover after exiting the pet battle interface. Both of these will be in for the next build.
We feel its very important to keep the PvP aspect of the game intact and if you choose to play on a PvP server, you will certainly be fighting for those rare spawns. (This rule effects PVE servers as well but only in contested areas.)
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