Top 10 Wild Pets you'd recommend to new collectors

[Abbotta]

There are some pets that we'd obviously recommend to everyone but they would require us to do a raid (the Idol) or be a Worgen (Gilean Raven) or unload 40k (Hatespark) or kill about 10,000 low level items (azure whelpling). I've been helping some new pet collectors and obviously I try to recomment which pets to find first and get leveled up quickly especially with the wild pets.

So here is the topic - top 10 pets you would recommend to a new pet collector that can be caught in the wild. (aka 'Safari Pets')

My list

#1 - Unborn Val'kyr - hardest of the wild pets to fine but one of the best
#2 - Nexus Whelpling or Emerald Proto-Whelp - Strong against Magic and Flying
#3 - Cogblade Raptor - Nice fast Mechanical!
#4 - One Moth preferably P/S Breed (I prefer my Luyu Moth)
#5 - Rapana Whelk (or Silkbead Snail) - Pandaran Spirit Tamers vs. Whelks - Whelks always win
#6 - Oily Slimeling - I think this is the only one of the Oozling family that can be caught in the wild. Moth killer
#7 - Kun-Lai Runt - Critter Killer
#8 - Strider Pet preferably P/S or H/S - Pump Spell is a powerhouse
#9 - Frostfur Rat - Undead Killer. Crouch, Call of Darkness and Sneak Attack.
#10 - Fel Flame - Best elemental in the wild

I use to use crabs all the time in the beginning but now I rarely use any of my crabs. I have yet to find any use for spiders, roaches, snakes and frogs but I know there are people who swear by them. I will use a Fox on occasion but didn't think it was top 10 worthy, same with some of the hares.

Honorable mentions include Scourged Whelpings, the Dragonkins over in Jade Forest, Arcane Eye, Restless Shadeling.

And as for the one pet I would never recommend - Anodized Robo Cub. The RNG gods were cruel the day I farmed that one because I found the biggest reject of the bunch. Any time I use my ARC he tends to miss everything and die quickly. I have no love for this pet and I'm about ready to kick this one off my team and try again with a new one.

[Peanutty]

There was a recent thread that asked a similar question (recommended wild pets), so maybe you'll find these responses useful: http://www.warcraftpets.com/community/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=12938

[Rendigar]

Hmmm, I think part of it has to be the question of ease to get vs usefulness. The only reason I say that is the Unborn Val'kyr is not a pet I would ever recommend a new player seek - purely because it will tie them up for hours (days?) trying to get one. If you expand the list to inexpensive, store bought pets, and you are already making the assumption they will be level 90+ (since you have the frostfur rat on your list) then it's safe to say they can afford a [pet]Ghostly Skull[/pet], which is nearly as useful.

Wild caught pets I think I'd use the most, whether in Mop Tamer battles, or just general hunting if I had to "start over" I think I'd go with several of yours plus a couple others (in no particular order):

- Cheetah Cub (S/S or any fast cat) - devour makes for a sustainable leveling assistance pet, great anti-critter pet
- Lava Crab - great for dealing with mechanicals, with slot 2 good to counter multi-hit or large damage attacks
- Grasslands Cottontail (S/S) - good undead counter, lots of avoidance, and highest power for a fast rabbit
- Cogblade Raptor (S/S) (or Blue Clockwork Rocketbot (S/S) for 50 gold) - fast beast counters (and the BCR has minefields!)
- Amber Moth (P/S) I think has the highest power, great for dealing with aquatics, but any P/S moth is good to have
- Nexus Whelpling - super fast flyer killer (can be only 2 rounds!), good vs magic too, but not resillient, still great to have
- Emerald Proto-Whelp - very good vs flyers and magic, and more resistent to damage + has avoidance
- Electrified Razortooth - great anti-elemental with devour for sustainability (Eternal Strider (P/S) is a viable alternative)
- Blighthawk (P/S or H/P especially) - kills humanoids dead! (the roaches send their regards)
- Flayer Youngling (S/S, P/S, H/S) - almost don't want to list due to hard to find any, but one of the best dragonkin counters, the Qiraj Guardling is also good but it is seasonal...

I think that covers all the pet types with what I'd use as a viable counter to them, more focused on winning than capturing in some cases, though.

[Jazeel]

the emporer crab is imo one of the must haves, one of the best tanking wild pets you can get.

[Echinacea]

nordrassil wisp

[Echinacea]

oh and 2 or 3 crows (or a gilnean raven which can be purchased "in the wild" for not much silver)

[Principa]

I put this in the other thread, but I'll post it here too!

Here are some of my WILD favourites!

• Aquatic - From the WILD aquatics out there, I really like my [pet]Leopard Tree Frog[/pet]. (My favourite aquatic pet is [pet]Snarly[/pet]... but he's not wild. He's a chance drop from fishing dailies in Outland. But he's awesome.)
• Beast - Get a spider! I like my [pet]Feverbite Hatchling[/pet], but really, any spider with Brittle Webbing is awesome. When other pets kill themselves on my spider? So great.
• Critter - I don't really have a favourite critter... but it's handy to have a fast rabbit (like my [pet]Arctic Hare[/pet]) and a snail (like the [pet]Shimmershell Snail[/pet]).
• Dragonkin - I have 3 favourite Dragons: 2 of them are the [pet]Infinite Whelpling[/pet] and the [pet]Nexus Whelpling[/pet]. I use these guys a lot, because they're awesome.
• Elemental - [pet]Fel Flame[/pet]: my go-to elemental! Destroys mechs, and usually others in random pet battles, too.
• Flying - I use my [pet]Crow[/pet] 99% of the time against aquatics, but also like having the [pet]Imperial Eagle Chick[/pet] and a [pet]Sandy Petrel[/pet].
• Humanoid - there aren't too many wild humanoids that I like, but my [pet]Flayer Youngling[/pet] is up there.
• Magic - Get an Ooze. I like my [pet]Jade Oozeling[/pet] from the Hinterlands. Super pro against flying, but useful against most other pets, too.
• Mechanical - [pet]Cogblade Raptor[/pet]: my go-to mech. Love this guy! Exposed wounds + overtune (if the other guy is
• faster) + batter = winning all the time.
• Undead - see dragonkin; my [pet]Scourged Whelpling[/pet] is my 3rd favourite dragon, mostly because he's undead! The [pet]Spirit Crab[/pet] is also pretty handy.

[Stella3]

Power bred Nexxus Whelpling has gotten me through many a tight spots.

The Flamering Moth is also reliable and cool enough to be my favorite pet/avatar.

Nether Faerie Whelpling is also amazing, i'd reccommend speed breed.

Sorry those are the best I have thus far.

[Alesis]

for me

#1 nexus whelpling
#2 nether fairy dragon
#3 cogblade raptor
#4 eternal strider
#5 fel flame
#6 p/p emperor crab
#7 scourged whelpling
#8 unborn valk
#9 arcane eye
#10 arctic hare

honestly there are a ton of wild pets that can decimate opponents in pve or pvp, its just a matter of playing around with the breeds and movesets and finding what you enjoy.

[Beast_mast0r]

Assuming normal PvE progression(with Kalimdor, EK tamers):

Flayer youngling, Nordrassil Wisp, Fel Flame, speedy Rabbit, Tiny Harvester, Spawn of Onyxia, Restless Shadeling, Skywisp Moth, Eternal Strider.

Useful and cheap: Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling, Darkmoon Zeppelin( decoy is key).

[Gardenvariety]

Emerald Proto-Whelp P/P, Emperor Crab P/P, Rabid Nut Varmint 5000 S/S or P/P, Scourged Whelpling H/H, Spirit Crab H/H, Crow S/S, Infinite Whelpling P/S, Jade Oozeling P/P, Scaled Basilisk Hatchling H/S

[Truweildude]

Don't know if I can come up with 10 good wild, but lets see,
These aren't in any specific order either.

PS Eternal Strider
PS, SS Crow
PP Tiny Harvester
HP Fel Flame
Emerald Proto, PP preferred but PS is good also
Darkmoon Tonk
PS Spawn of Ony
PP Yellow Moth
PP Fjord Worg
PP Jade Ooze

ok the tonk and yellow moth are vendor, but they are easily obtainable, yellow moth is the only PP breed moth.
Other pets of note, PP Yellow bullfrog (only PP frog), Living Fluid (only PS ooze), Blue Rocketbot PS breed, too many to pick just 10.

[Awq]

Waterfly
Rabbit (Speed breed)
Nether Fairy Dragon
Infected Squirrel
Nexus Whelpling
Emperor Crab
Frostfur Rat
Fel Flame
Cog-Blade Raptor
Snow Cub

Honorable mentions: Spider, Scalded Basilisk Hatchling, Alpine Foxling, Robo-Chick, Flayer Youngling, Skywisp Moth, Blighthawk, Infested Bear Cub, Parrot, Crow, Emerald Proto-Drake, Shimmershell Snail, Leopard Tree Frog, Molten Hatchling, Electrified Razortooth, Turkey.

[Steamanubis]

For new collectors, I'd definitely recommend the rocketbots (Blue clockwork and the Mountain Dew promotion Warbot). Reliable attacks, easy on the wallet, plus you can get them from world vendors - no need to spend RL coin or wade through Auction House listings.

If you don't have the [pet]Iron Starlette[/pet], get it. Seriously, get it. That little freakazoid can steamroll unsuspecting critters with a Wind-Up/Supercharge/Wind-Up combo.

Get your racial pet from your local pet trainer NPC. All of them are useful, especially the Gilnean Raven, and they're cheap. Again, no time spent at the Auction House or on The Undermine Journal.

Going along with the "free/cheap" theme, download or get an Authenticator. Not only do you protect your account against hackers/spammers, but you get a free [pet]Core Hound Pup[/pet]! (As long as you keep the authenticator, that is.)

Look around for frogs/toads to kiss, er, capture. They're all over the place, share the same powers, and they're easy to capture.

I know this next one will be harder to find, but the [pet]Terrible Turnip[/pet] is great when you're capturing wild pets. [ability]Weakening[/ability] acts like False Swipe from the Pokemon games, so as long as you keep the Turnip alive, you can keep rolling to capture your quarry.

[Principa]

For new collectors, I'd definitely recommend the rocketbots (Blue clockwork and the Mountain Dew promotion Warbot). Reliable attacks, easy on the wallet, plus you can get them from world vendors - no need to spend RL coin or wade through Auction House listings.

OMG. I blocked all pets that were from promotions on this site when I first joined and had NO IDEA that the Warbot was just available from vendors now. Time to peruse all of my blocked pets and make sure they're still unavailable to me...!

[Abashera]

I know this is slightly off-topic, but...

For people new to battling, I always recommend these following 5 pets, because all of these can be purchased either from NPCs or on the AH, usually for very little investment. This list is also good for people who want to buy pets for a friend, as a GIFT Starter Set to get them started into pet battling.

1) Cornish Rex Cat (or Feline Familiar)
2) P/P Yellow Moth
3) Sunreaver Micro-Sentry (and/or Lil’ Bling)
4) Proto-Drake Whelp, or Chrominius
5) Terrible Turnip

These sufficiently cover/counter any pet family one will encounter in the wild. After this a new collector can capture their own WILD pets.


—Rx

[Papazol]

Not too many wild pets are realy usefull. Still few from them are must have to any pet batler. I just checked my favorite pets and found wild ones, what I use for combat. I didn't include great wild pets, what are usefull for 1 specific fight. Only pets with commonuse in many conditions.
- Moshes. Yellow Mosh isn't wild, it is wendor pet. For some fights I use Amber mosh.
- Ravens. Crow from Darkmoon Isle is great pet and I realy like to use it in many fights.
- Dancing water skimmer. Interesting pet, what is usefull in some not too easy fights.
- Crabs. Emperor crab in pp breed is the most powerfull from them.
- Golden dawnfeather. This pet isn't rare. But it is epic.
- lava crab. Pet with great potencial, what was reliased in WoD.
- Qirajy Guardling. One from best humanoid pets.
- Hare. Rabbits are good. Fast, powerfull, tasty. 3 rabbits will not be too much.
- Scourged whelpling. Great pet for many hard fights.
- I wasn't able deside, what I had place on 10 spot - Stunded Shardhorn (and analogs) or Unborn Val'kyr. SO lets them stay together.

[Dwamli]

I am very new at this battle pet stuff. I tried to make a list of my 10 favs and I cant do it. Each one I have can do something so unique and different, I just cant pick. Gotta say, I have raided for years and played this game primarily with that in mind. But I am also an achievement whore, so I could not leave that menagerie locked....and thats how they sucked me in. I am beyond hooked, this is like WoW crack this is. I love pet battling and collecting, way too awesome.

[Aur]

Ten wild pets any collector should have, in no particular order:

1. A Fox, several to choose from. Bite, Howl & Dance is so strong
2. Grasslands Cottontail, S/S. You will need a speedy rabbit and this one is the best.
3. A high power moth. Yes, Yellow Moth is the best, but he is a vendor pet so technically doesn't count for this list. I still use my P/S Amber Moth a lot too.
4. A good spider. Crystal Spider is useful for the unique move, but any high power spider will do.
5. Emerald Proto-Whelp, P/P. Every one should have one of these guys.
6. Flayer Youngling S/S. Worth farming. Go get one.
7. A strong crab, Emperor Crab P/P is one of the best. WoD has a couple new P/P crabs also.
8. Eternal Strider. For Pump.
9. Scourged Whelpling. Great Undead pet with a strong moveset.
10. Shimmershell Snail or Rapana Whelk - Another option would be a grub\maggot, similar moves but they are beast type instead of critter.

Honorable Mentions:
Nether Fairie Dragon
Nexus Whelping P/P
Brilliant Bloodfeather. Easily becoming one of my favorite of the new WoD pets. Drain Blood is op.
Electrified Razortooth. Rip + Blood in the Water is awesome. new Zanger Crawler has the same combo.
Lost of Lorderon. Poor Man's Valkyr Easily obtainable pet with Curse of Doom
Crow S/S. Very strong and useful with Darkness. Only gets a Mention because he is a pita to farm.
Kun-Lai Runt. If you don't have a Flayer yet, this guy is a good substitute and easier to get.