Theory: How drops in Island Expeditions works

[Necronx]

Hi!

According to these two posts in wowhead and reddit:

"How Drops and Chances for Island Expedition Items Work"
https://www.wowhead.com/news=287456/how ... items-work

"Islands are the best content system released in WoW in over a decade"
https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/comments/9 ... leased_in/

There is a theory that you only have chances to loot a drop if you kill rares. Themed creatures and events in island let you know what drop are available for it. I have done it for a wile and really increased my drop rate (pets and transmogs).

I also have a theory, that portal bosses in events (final island event - level 122) give you chances to drop mount.

I'm really enjoying doing these tests, since my drop has improved significantly!

Att.

[Quintessence]

TLDR; The most efficient way to win an Island Expedition is the most INEFFICIENT way for a chance at rewards.

• Don't kill the big Azerite elementals, as they don't have a reward loot table attached to them.
• Loot chests and nodes sparingly and only just enough to keep you ahead of the other team.
• Target specific mob types and rares that correspond with pets (yak mobs for [pet]Muskflank Calfling[/pet], for example).
• There's a chance that if the other team kills a specific mob/rare that you may still receive the corresponding pet.
• Even if you kill only specific rares, it's still just a CHANCE to receive any reward at all.

There's a Bnet Pet Battle forum discussion specifically about the pets and what mobs might trigger possible rewards.

[Necronx]

Got 2 pirate hats (blue and red) killing all pirates on the island, including non rares. Also got Sparkleshell Sandcrawler killing the same big model as the pet.

[Fynzou]

We killed all the pirates on the island and had Barnaby drop for one of the people in our group.

I honestly think the trash is just as important as the rares at this point.

[Whoppadoo]

I just opened up island expeditions, so been tryin them out but is there max of how many u can do a day and still get the bag at the end?...I have done 5 and only got a bag for the first 3

[Necronx]

I just opened up island expeditions, so been tryin them out but is there max of how many u can do a day and still get the bag at the end?...I have done 5 and only got a bag for the first 3

bags can come in any time you try. they are, in fact, what comes most in the expeditions.

[FuxieDK]

I just did my weekly 5 HCs yesterday.. Average of 4 rares per IE = 20 rares (not 20 different)... We also did 11 "quests" total..

Net result = NOTHING worth mentioning.. No pets.. No mounts.. A single 325 blue dagger... 4+11 dubloons.

Not saying the theory is wrong, only then I see no connection to my experience..

[Darkchyld]

I just did my weekly 5 HCs yesterday.. Average of 4 rares per IE = 20 rares (not 20 different)... We also did 11 "quests" total..

Net result = NOTHING worth mentioning.. No pets.. No mounts.. A single 325 blue dagger... 4+11 dubloons.

Not saying the theory is wrong, only then I see no connection to my experience..

You're not guaranteed anything though. The point is the loot you do earn is tied to specific mobs rather than totally RNG based. The blue dagger you earned, what theme is the drop and what mobs you killed during that specific IE is what you should be paying attention to.

The quest azerite items as well as the green transmog items are tied to similar mobs which is what I've earned since I've started to pay attention to the drop/mobs killed. I haven't farmed any IEs past the weekly so my results are limited, but do support the theory.

The AH has fluctuations that help prove the theory. Prior to this week, there were 0 Barnaby's across all servers on UJJ and this week the AH is flooded with them because the specific island or invasion during the IE that has the mobs required for Barnaby to drop is active this week. Coldlight Surfrunner will be the same I assume.

[Angelcat2887]

well after reading this yesterday, last night me and two guildies did some runs on some low lvl alts (so only normals)

We only went after named rares really, and collected the chests near the said rare, we would also kill all the piratres when we got the right Island.

After 10 runs we got: 4 green items, 2 blue, 6 quest items for AP and 2 pets ([pet]Littlehoof[/pet] & [pet]Barnaby[/pet]).

Never had that kinda luck before and we all gained 2 lvl on our toons aswell. just my input.

[Tekulve2018]

Hiya
This idea is also making the rounds on youtube. I have leveled my bm hunter from 110 to 119 solely from expeditions (after the required opening part). I enjoy the expeditions tbh. Anyway, I only do Normal runs. It takes 7 to 9 runs per level at 10 minutes per run (random groups).
I have earned about 1 pet on average every toon level. 3 pets were not cageable. I earned 7 quest items for rep,toon xp,azerite and 4 xmog items. I think every run our team killed the big elemental rares since they are a major source of azerite..this suggests only that you can still earn a pet in a run where you down them.
Tekulve

[Shironu]

yup only rare works got the mount from pirates alrdy also 27 / 28 pets , but i dont have a clue how to get the coldlight surfrunner yet.. tried full week with killing rares nagas and murlocs but still nothing when the others went pretty fast

[Darkchyld]

Impressive 27/28 pets.. Did you farm them or buy them off the AH?

[Uduwudu]

Hi,

is there a difference in these drops depending on the quality of the Expedition?

Choices are "Normal", "Heroic" and "Mythic".

I imagine that the chances increase as your difficulty rises, as has been the case in this game for some time in better gear drops.

[Necronx]

Hi,

is there a difference in these drops depending on the quality of the Expedition?

Choices are "Normal", "Heroic" and "Mythic".

I imagine that the chances increase as your difficulty rises, as has been the case in this game for some time in better gear drops.

Most of my drop were in heroic difficult. About 13 pets

[Uduwudu]

Hi,

is there a difference in these drops depending on the quality of the Expedition?

Choices are "Normal", "Heroic" and "Mythic".

I imagine that the chances increase as your difficulty rises, as has been the case in this game for some time in better gear drops.

Most of my drop were in heroic difficult. About 13 pets

That is exactly why I asked since I had done about 8 of these expeditions on "Normal" and I did not get a single pet. I did get some Dubloons, but have no idea where to use them.

[Necronx]

Just another tip (during "find and kill all rares"):

My group began by doing additional tasks during the expeditions. We started saving Azerith to collect the island themed chests and themed bags and also the locked ones, including the portal final event chest (usually 2). We had a considerable increase in the drop. I think this is a good tip to try to do as well.

That worked when we started to win the expeditions. So always try to keep a safe azerith distance from the horde. After many attempts, we conclude that this addiction helped us a lot!

Att.

[GrosBonda]

That is exactly why I asked since I had done about 8 of these expeditions on "Normal" and I did not get a single pet. I did get some Dubloons, but have no idea where to use them.

i got my first pet after 50 attempts...
i was starting to get depressed
RNG is RNG

[Uduwudu]

That is exactly why I asked since I had done about 8 of these expeditions on "Normal" and I did not get a single pet. I did get some Dubloons, but have no idea where to use them.

i got my first pet after 50 attempts...
i was starting to get depressed
RNG is RNG

Hi,

I must be impatient or so ... done 4 heroic expeditions and no drops for me ... 2 Horde and 2 Alliance.

I'm getting disillusioned, not to mention that most folks I have played with in these are not very good at team play at all ... one goes left the other goes right ... and you stand there like the Statue of Liberty! Kinda looking stupid and standing for heaven knows what!

[Kiella]

That is exactly why I asked since I had done about 8 of these expeditions on "Normal" and I did not get a single pet. I did get some Dubloons, but have no idea where to use them.

i got my first pet after 50 attempts...
i was starting to get depressed
RNG is RNG

Hi,

I must be impatient or so ... done 4 heroic expeditions and no drops for me ... 2 Horde and 2 Alliance.

I'm getting disillusioned, not to mention that most folks I have played with in these are not very good at team play at all ... one goes left the other goes right ... and you stand there like the Statue of Liberty! Kinda looking stupid and standing for heaven knows what!

Even after the buff to drop rates, they're still a rare drop. I think I'm at 2 pets in like 30 expeditions (mostly heroic, but some normal).

I'd recommend trying to join a group with other pet collectors. I ran tonight in a nice group from the Alliance Island Expedition Community Fenril started, but I have also found random groups just in the Island Expeditions tab of group finder.

[Killerkarl]

I have been disillusioned for a while now and am done with running these things until there is more concrete info out there. Hate the thought of wasting time.