The gold standard for pet battle guides is the [url=http://www.warcraftpets.com/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=7556]amazing 5.4 guide[/url] - and there hasn’t been something that comprehensive for WoD. I’ve seen a lot of scattered information (and misinformation!), from threads on this site, wowhead comments, and various other places, but nothing that has been compiled into a community-based think tank. Hopefully this guide will fill that niche!
Why is this guide "no-bs"? Because this is NOT a guide for experimental teams or pet battling casually while doing 5mans or farming - this is designed for people trying to get all their pets blue, and all to level 25, and who do this primarily through quickly grinding out WoD trainer dailies.
The point of this guide is to provide the quickest and most efficient path for the WoD trainers. This incorporates all aspects of a pet battle - the right comps, the shortest fight lengths, and the shortest travel time between trainers. It aims to output the most exp and stone opportunity in the shortest amount of time. As the comment section develops, any improvements to teams or travel routes will be incorporated into this guide.
Wait Donna...why do the WoD trainers at all?
I hear a lot of bs about how the WoD trainers are all crap because they don’t give as much exp as the MoP trainers, they don’t reward pet sacks, and they take forever to get to because there is no flying. Each of these points is misunderstood.
The WoD trainers give better exp than the MoP ones. What?? As outlined in [url=http://www.warcraftpets.com/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8829]this thread[/url], the exp coefficient for MoP trainers is 12.5, and for almost all of the WoD trainers it is 12.5 as well. Ashlei used to be the most generous trainer in the game with a 15.0 multiplier, but the 6.1 daily visiting garrison trainer took over with a massive 17.5 (nerfed as of 4/3/15!) I think the misconception here is that the 6.0 menagerie garrison daily group such as the birds used to have a lower exp multiplier - 7.5, the same as the Cata trainers. Currently, only Squirt retains this value as the others have been heavily nerfed. Since the menagerie trainers didn't give that hot of exp, I think people just assumed all the other WoD trainers were not worthwhile. Fools!
Although they don’t reward pet sacks, the new trainers reward something MUCH more valuable - [url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=116415/pet-charm]Pet Charms![/url] A full loop will get you 32-34 a day, and they can be used to buy several things - notably, [url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=98715/marked-flawless-battle-stone]Flawless Battle Stones[/url] and the [url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=120321/mystery-bag#contains]Mystery Bag[/url]. With the Flawless Stones costing 15 charms, this guarantees two stones a day. Compare this to a full MoP bag clear, which has RNG to net you 0-5 stones a day, with most days giving you 2 or 3. If you choose you spend your charms on the training stones, you can load up on 16-17 Mystery Bags a day - this will provide 16-34(!) levels to your pets in addition to what you get while doing the trainers. Very powerful.
As far as the travel time, I think this guide will reveal that the lack of a flying mount is not nearly the impediment people may perceive it to be. Also note that MoP’s flying mount advantage still requires long, linear travel over territory. Think of the Gorespine > Flowing Panda Spirit flight - it isn’t like a flying mount makes for instant MoP trainer teleportation. A good deal of the MoP loop was spent flying around.
What makes a good pet loop?
In general, “speed at which you can level your pet army” is what makes a good pet loop. This can be broken down into two factors - reward and travel. Obviously the reward from each trainer has to be worthwhile, but also the travel time to get to a particular trainer has to not be prohibitive. This was the core of the MoP loop - all the trainers gave great exp in addition to their sack, and since they were all located on the same continent that also had flight enabled, the travel time was not a huge restriction. Many people added in the Beasts of Fable to the MoP loop because the sack they rewarded was still worthwhile given their relatively small travel time commitment. This is a probable reason the Garrison Trainers were nerfed. Despite experience that was less than an “normal” trainer, the zero travel time required for these battles made it by far the best thing in the game for pure exp grinding.
Trainers older than MoP were subject to people’s interpretation - the Cata trainers gave good exp and did not have much travel time due to the Orgrimmar portals. Some of the earlier trainers still offered sacks and low travel time due to particular items - the Karabor neck for the SMV trainer, the AT tabard for Major Payne, Goblin Engineers for Trixxy in Winterspring, etc.
At the other end of the spectrum, most people didn’t take the time to do the “in the middle of nowhere” trainers in vanilla/bc/wotlk, because the reward they offered was too low, and the travel time was fairly high. I think this guide will reveal that WoD provides excellent rewards for low travel time, and that it is even more worthwhile than the MoP loop.
A word on comp selection in general, and the role of RNG
The standard approach to any trainer is 2 pets to handle the team, and a carry pet. This is a simple concept, but it is more complicated than first glance. A few things to consider.
You want the comp to be the one which can take the trainer down the quickest. Carry pets are typically used at the beginning of the fight, or subbed in right after a pet death for this reason - to avoid burning 1-2 rounds on a swap. Exploder pets are prized for this ability, since they can end the fight and not waste even a single round on the carry pet. Certain abilities have extremely long animation framerates (double clockwork turrets come to mind), which can drag fights out significantly longer - prioritize quicker abilities if possible.
You also will want the comp to provide the most safety for your carry pet - ideally, enabling a level 1 carry. Some trainers make this impossible due to AOE abilities, but most will have a window where you can slip a no-damage round in. Be aware of when this is.
RNG manifests in some annoying ways during battles - since the 100% accuracy fix, many pets have a range of damage on their abilities. This can commonly be the difference between killing a pet in 3 rounds vs 4 rounds, for example. Critical hits are also an issue - a crit against you can kill a pet you needed to stay alive, and a crit by your pet against the enemy can put you 1 round short of an ability you needed to use on their next pet. All of this can result in a failed attempt, which is the ultimate waste of time, and so you will want to select pets that can minimize this variance.
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The Pets and Items You Need
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=119093/avianas-feather]Aviana’s Feather[/url]
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=116197/spirit-lodge-level-3]Spirit Lodge Portals![/url]
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=118662/bladespire-relic]Bladespire Relic[/url] - this requires Revered with [url=http://www.wowhead.com/faction=1445/frostwolf-orcs]Frostwolf Orcs[/url]
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=110560/garrison-hearthstone]Garrison Hearthstone[/url]
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/quest=34078/payment-due-for-services-rendered]Iron Seigeworks[/url] segment of your Garrison Campaign questline for the mole machine.
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=112059/wormhole-centrifuge]Wormhole Centrifuge[/url] - this requires at least 500 Engineering. This item necessitates a glider of some sort as well.
Additionally, if you have a Barracks, the followers [url=http://www.wowhead.com/follower=216.2/vivianne#comments]Vivianne[/url] (Horde) and [url=http://www.wowhead.com/follower=216.1/delvar-ironfist]Delvar Ironfist[/url] (Alliance) both grant you an [url=http://www.wowhead.com/spell=174909/vivianne-perk-portal-garrison]additional, ZERO-cooldown garrison hearthstone[/url]. This can be weaved into the route in a few places, but is probably best served cutting the RNG on the wormhole when getting to Gargra (see below).
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=7547/azure-whelpling]Azure Whelpling[/url] - P/P
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68662/chrominius]Chrominius[/url] - H/H
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=65203/emperor-crab]Emperor Crab[/url] - P/P
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=90205/fragment-of-desire]Fragment of Desire[/url] - H/S
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68820/infinite-whelpling]Infinite Whelpling[/url] - P/P
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=64899/mechanical-pandaren-dragonling]Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling[/url] - S/S
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=43800/personal-world-destroyer]Personal World Destroyer[/url] - P/P
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=15699/tranquil-mechanical-yeti]Tranquil Mechanical Yeti[/url] - H/B
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=71163/unborn-valkyr]Unborn Val'kyr[/url] - H/H or B/B
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=78421/weebomination]Weebomination[/url] - H/H
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The Route!
My best time is 19 minutes.
Start with your Menagerie trainer and then [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=91361/kura-thunderhoof]Kura Thunderhoof[/url]. Remember that if she does not spawn in your garrison, check the in-game groupfinder and someone will have her up.
Mole Machine to Beastwatch
Feather over to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=83837/cymre-brightblade]Cymre Brightblade[/url]
Garrison Hearth
Spirit Lodge Portal to SMV
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/item=113543/spirit-of-shinri]Spirit of Shinri[/url] or mount up to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87124/ashlei]Ashlei[/url]
*Hearthstone to Veil Terokk
Walk to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87123/vesharr]Vesharr[/url]
Gank any alliance here, there are always some afk by the flypoint.
*If you simply cannot commit your Hearthstone to Veil Terokk, you can Glider off Ashlei's rock right into the Spirit Lodge Portal back to your Garrison. Take your other Spirit Lodge Portal to Spires of Arak and just ride to Veil Terokk - it is not very far.
Fly to Retribution Point
Ride to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87125/taralune]Taralune[/url]
Pop Bladespire Relic
Walk outside and Feather straight south to [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87110/tarr-the-terrible]Tarr the Terrible[/url]
Wormhole to "Lava and Snow"
Glider or Fly, depending on where the Wormhole dumped you, toward Wolf’s Stand to face [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87122/gargra]Gargra[/url]
After this, some people in this thread have posted that they hearth / wormhole / Challenger's Path / Capital city cloak port > Jade Forest portal over to the MoP trainers and knock them out too, which can be done in under the 60 minute window of a pet treat. At this point it is just up to each individual how much time you want to put into pet dailies.
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Individual tamer comp breakdown
Menagerie Trainers
The Pet Charms from the sack are very valuable. Make sure to do this trainer every day. Since the nerf to both exp and difficulty of the trainer, there is no reason to carry a pet except against Squirt. I have not gone through to optimize my now-carry-petless teams for each of the daily comps, but I will add breakdowns for each trainer in a future post.
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=91361/kura-thunderhoof]Kura Thunderhoof[/url]
Use whatever team, her pets are chumps. Don't bring a carry pet since she gives hardly any exp. As long as you didn't pick a hard counter, she's a pushover.
The team I use personally is:
Carry Pet
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68845/nexus-whelpling]Nexus Whelpling[/url] - P/P
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68819/arcane-eye]Arcane Eye[/url] - P/S
I just Arcane Winds up and let Mana Surge rip. Only team that is troublesome can be the rats. Two Nexus Whelplings would probably be better but I've been too lazy to go tame another. I don't have these pets listed in the loop list above because there are a lot of variations you can use here.
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=83837/cymre-brightblade]Cymre Brightblade[/url]
Team 1: ~16 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=65203/emperor-crab]Emperor Crab[/url] - P/P - 1,1,2
Carry Pet - needs 150 hp
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68820/infinite-whelpling]Infinite Whelpling[/url] - P/P - 1,1,1
- - Open with Crab > Whirlpool > Snap until Idol is under 300 hp > Swap to Carry (to avoid triggering Dark Rebirth) > Swap to Crab (to get Rebirth to drop off) > Renewing Mists > Snap > Swap on Whelpling on undead racial
- - Healing Flame (should heal to full) > Tail Sweep until Wishbright is dead. Should make Wish whiff.
- - Early Advantage > Tail Sweep > Tail Sweep
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87124/ashlei]Ashlei[/url]
Team 1: ~15 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=64899/mechanical-pandaren-dragonling]Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling[/url] - S/S - 1, 1, 2
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
- - Open with Panda Dragon > Decoy > Breath until Pixiebell is dead.
- - Bombing Run > Breath until Doodle takes a nap and swaps out
- - Breath until Tally is dead.
- - Swap to Carry 1 > Swap to Carry 2 > Swap to Panda Dragon > Breath until poor Doodle is dead.
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87123/vesharr]Vesharr[/url]
Team 1: ~13 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68662/chrominius]Chrominius[/url] - H/H - 2,2,2
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=64899/mechanical-pandaren-dragonling]Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling[/url] - S/S - 1, 2, 2
- - Open with Chrome > Arcane Explosion until racial procs > Arcane Explosion > Ancient Blessing > Arcane Explosion until the Kaliri is dead.
- - Arcane Explosion > Surge of Power > Chrome will die > Swap in Carry Pet > Swap to Panda Dragon > Thunderbolt > Breath until Nest Guardian is dead. Decoy if Panda Dragon gets entangled, but this is very rare.
- - Poor Darkwing is usually dead from Thunderbolt, just breath him down if he is not.
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87125/taralune]Taralune[/url]
Team 1: ~12 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=90205/fragment-of-desire]Fragment of Desire[/url] - H/S - 2,2,1
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=7547/azure-whelpling]Azure Whelpling[/url] - P/P - 2,1,1
- - Open with Fragment > Arcane Blast x4 > Soulrush
- - Soul Ward > Arcane Blast until both Fragment and Grace die
- - Swap in Carry Pet following Fragment's death > Swap to Whelpling > Arcane Storm > Surge of Power
Team 2: ~14 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=68662/chrominius]Chrominius[/url] - H/H - 2,2,2
- A [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=62625/nether-roach]Nether Roach[/url] spamming Nether Blast also works in this slot.
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=62395/nether-faerie-dragon]Nether Faerie Dragon[/url] - P/P - 2,2,1
- - Open with Chrome > Arcane Explosion > Arcane Explosion > Ancient Blessing > Arcane Explosion > Arcane Explosion > PASS > Ancient Blessing > Surge of Power will kill Serendipity.
- - Grace will kill Chrome with Call Lightning > Swap to Carry Pet > Swap to Faerie Dragon > Moonfire > Arcane Blast will kill Grace.
- - If you are under 500 hp, Life Exchange, otherwise, Arcane Blast > Arcane Blast
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87669/hatespark-the-tiny]Hatespark the Tiny[/url] - P/B - 1,1,1
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=7547/azure-whelpling]Azure Whelpling[/url] - P/P - 2,1,1
- - Open with Hatespark > Blast of Hatred x3 > Flamethrower > Conflag will kill Serendipity
- - Blast of Hatred > Flamethrower > Hatespark dies > Swap to Carry > Swap to Azure Whelpling > Arcane Storm
- - Surge of Power
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87110/tarr-the-terrible]Tarr the Terrible[/url]
Team 1: ~10 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=71163/unborn-valkyr]Unborn Val'kyr[/url] - H/H or B/B - 2,2,2
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=78421/weebomination]Weebomination[/url] - H/H - 1,1,1
- - Open with Valk > Curse of Doom > Unholy Ascension > Bring in Weebom > Cleave > Swap to Carry Pet to eat the stun > Swap to Weebom > Cleave until everything is dead
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=87122/gargra]Gargra[/url]
Team 1: ~9 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=43800/personal-world-destroyer]Personal World Destroyer[/url] - P/P - 1,1,2
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=15699/tranquil-mechanical-yeti]Tranquil Mechanical Yeti[/url] - H/B - 1,1,2
- -Open with PWD > Quake > Metal Fist
- -Metal Fist > Swap to Carry Pet > Swap to Yeti > Metal Fist
- -Ion Cannon oneshot
Team 2: ~8-9 rounds
- [url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=9656/pet-bombling]Pet Bombling[/url] - H/S - 2,1,2
Carry Pet - level 1 ok
[url=http://www.wowhead.com/npc=55356/darkmoon-tonk]Darkmoon Tonk[/url] - H/P - 1,1,2
- -Minefield > Batter until Wolfus is dead.
- -Explode + minefield hit will kill Fangra
- -Swap to Carry > Swap to Tonk > Shock and Awe > Ion Cannon
Changelog:
3/25/15 - original posting, formatting
3/27/15 - added some of Jerebear's superior teams
4/3/15 - New record of 19 minutes! Also, unfortunate nerf to the wandering garrison trainer, ugh.
4/7/15 - Added personal team to Kura, added Sepsis' better Tarr team, added Iamhotep's Gargra team, added Anasa's suggestion re: Blossoming Ancient
4/10/15 - added new Jerebear's Taralune team; note re: Nether Roach
4/14/15 - added note re: Barracks follower ability, Jerebear's Hatespark team for Taralune, eliminated Blossoming Ancient suggestion