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View Full Version : Which mage pet is the best and when/why?


medievalerror
12-22-2012, 04:42 AM
I am new to the mage class, but loving it so far. To this point (only lvl 8) I've been using only the Earth pet (with Shovel of Ponz). I see on some threads folks say Fire is the best, soloing or not. So, my question is, which pet is best overall and, if an experienced mage can elaborate, when is best scenario to use each pet?

Phinger
12-22-2012, 06:03 PM
I'm no mage and never played one, but seems like the only time i see mages using earth pets is when they want to keep the mobs rooted. Other than that I seem to see more air or fire pets wandering around.

Probably didn't help you much, sorry :(

Heavydrop
12-23-2012, 01:14 AM
In my experience it depends on the scenario and your preference, and even sometimes the availability of which pet you have.
Earth pet is useable for tanking and using its root to split spawns and keep runners from getting friends as they flee but they are at the low end for DPS. If I am in a group I don't use them unless nobody else can root, and that is very rare. I've used earth pets for farming and some exping but not that often.

Water and Fire are much better DPS and if you're going to solo Fire is where its at.
You can either heal your pet as you go (the last pet heal spell we get is level 20, and the amount we do goes up as wel level) or you can "chain pet" as is the custom of some mages.
This eliminates the need to waste all your mana healing up your pet and also cancels out the 50% exp penalty for our pets if they do over half the damage to a mob (but remember damage shields are neutral damage and don't count towards that)
Air pets are ok but their stuns aren't anything that great I've noticed until you get the level 53 air pet which is a beast.

When you get to the level you can start summoning Swords of Runes make sure to give them to your pet because they will proc on anything and do all the Temple of Ro pet focus items (I did) you never know when you're going to want a certain pet.
I prefer to group but of course I've had to do my fair share of soloing.

diplo
12-23-2012, 02:26 AM
chain fire pet - get focus torch = win.


rest are pointless until you're past 50.

Heavydrop
12-23-2012, 08:13 AM
chain fire pet - get focus torch = win.


rest are pointless until you're past 50.

Wouldn't say rest are pointless.
There were times when I could solo with earth pet but not a fire pet, such
as the graveyard in Mistmoore because I could split the spawns with the
earth pet's root.
You could say "why bother doing that? Why not go somewhere else?"
To that I say "why bother going somewhere else? why not own the zone you're in?"
It was very nice to be able to hold it down all by myself. It and unrest. And I could do it much easier with earth sometimes moreso than with fire.
Not saying I didn't use fire a lot, because I certainly did I just didn't limit myself
by only using it.
As I've said, it just depends on where you're at and what you're doing.
One exception: don't bother buying the 52 fire pet. Its the worst pet in game. Save your money

medievalerror
12-23-2012, 05:47 PM
The issue I'm having with fire pet is trying to do at least 50% dmg myself--which pisses off the NPC and they agro on me (whereas earth pet they are rooted)...or should I use fire pet and nuke less often?

Treefall
12-23-2012, 10:16 PM
The issue I'm having with fire pet is trying to do at least 50% dmg myself--which pisses off the NPC and they agro on me (whereas earth pet they are rooted)...or should I use fire pet and nuke less often?

Be a bro and invite a class that can't solo. Heck, if you have a rogue or warrior you'll get more xp than you do doing less damage than your pet!

From what I've read though, what you're facing is a low level problem. It goes away later on when the mobs have more HP and your pets don't scale as well. I don't play a Mage though. Also, as someone mentioned chaining pets when you can is a good strategy. You'll be rich anyways with your damn 100% weight reduction bags.

Dragonzord
12-24-2012, 05:22 AM
didnty read other poeple spost tbut the best mage pet is afk

Nagash
12-25-2012, 07:10 AM
The issue I'm having with fire pet is trying to do at least 50% dmg myself--which pisses off the NPC and they agro on me (whereas earth pet they are rooted)...or should I use fire pet and nuke less often?

Here's something for you:
1- Enter into lazy mode
2- Send pet in
3- Heal pet if need be or chain pet as you prefer
4- Once mob is in running mode
4a- Recall you pet
4b- Summon another pet (don't send him it)
4c- Blast the mob to death (usually one spell is enough)
5- Rince and repeat

Notes:
- you haven't blasted a mob until 4c which makes you saving a lot of mana and also makes it easier for your new pet to take aggro (in case of pet chaining)
- during 4c, you may decide to send your pet in after you have blasted at least 50% of the hit points the mob had remaining at the moment you recalled your pet. This will only concern you for later in your life (still haven't had to do it at 24) so I guess at that point you will already be a pro :)

Alternatively, you can find a more complete guide on how to do it a couple of messages down in this very forum :)
Happy hunting.

Snagglepuss
12-28-2012, 12:44 PM
As someone who played his first mage to 60 on this server (in the glory afk leveling days and after the great pet nerf), I'll shed some light and give some rules of thumb which pet to use in what type of situation.

****Take all below as a rule of thumb and consider these are just MY personal notes. Our class has gone through a lot of changes on this server since its inception. Many of the wiki guides and forum posts were written back when pets were not classic, very overpowered, could instant cast ds, and did not eat exp. Take what others say with a grain of salt because many of people's opinions still reflect the idea that pets instant cast their abilities or even do not eat exp...

Fire / Dizil's Deafening Decoy: Lowest hp, Innate dmg shield, Has fire nuke close to dmg shield, Wizard in Kunark, DDD is essentially a beefed-up version of your 49 fire pet that procs hate instead of nuke

*Use when soloing or "pet kiting" as some call it
*Remember that the DS is NO LONGER INSTANT CAST so chaining this pet is futile UNLESS you are going to kite the mob while the fire pet takes his sweet time (can be up to 15 seconds or more!)
*Don't waste your time with your fire pet in Kunark. It's just sad. Use DDD to solo when you get it.

Water: Highest HP after Earth, Nukes, Great dps, Highest Regen, Rogue in Kunark

*A good pet to use while grouping (Insane dps in 50s)
*Kunark water pets gain the ability to backstab so position him.
*A great option when fear or aggro kiting Duo post 50

Earth: Highest HP, Root attack, Mediocre dps, Warrior in Kunark

*I liked to use when duoing with a Shaman (tanks as well as a poorly geared warrior)
*Good for spliting two mobs
*Good for chain killing
*Mediocre crowd control... but it can do it...

Air: Third highest HP, stun attack, invis when idle, high avoidance, Monk in Kunark

*Best all around pet used in groups
*Great against caster mobs (Seb comes to mind)
*Great for farming at higher levels.

Pre-50 / old world SOLO: FIRE, FIRE, FIRE...

Here is what I noticed works now. No, it is not as efficient as the "good 'ole days" but it works.

Cast your level one nuke. Send in FIRE pet. Heal him when he gets low. Reclaim him when the mob starts to flee. Finish mob with lower level nuke. Full experience. Re-cast pet. Do again. This works well once you get DDD too. Same tactics can be used to 60 albeit not necessarily the fastest. (BW giants, Scoriae Hornets, Karnor's Trash, and Ravishing Drolvargs come to mind)

Chaining with fire pets won't work anymore since they randomized the pet's ds time so unless you want to kite around the mob in order to save mana from just healing when you could be medding, I say just heal your pet up until the mob starts to flee. The fire pets are really too weak to be worth anything without their ds up.

DUO: WATER, AIR, EARTH... (All situational)

When kiting pre-50, air pet stuns are nice and water pet is always good dps. Post-50, earth pet is great when leveling with a Shaman (Slow + torpor in HS is great exp). KC entrance with a bard is an example where water pet's BS is essential whereas Chardok entrance with a necro, the stuns from the air pet will slow the mob's trek as well as save you from a mob going too far down the tunnel...

GROUP: AIR, WATER, MAYBE EARTH... (Situational)

Pre-50 I wouldn't group unless you really want to... You'll spend plenty of time grouping in Seb or HS in your late 50s. I recommend Air pet under 50, and Water / Air post 50 depending on situation (ie casters) and what is the highest pet spell you have at your current level. (MAYBE Earth for Crowd Control if some whiney group member complains enough about needing an "off tank" or "extra rooter" to which you roll your eyes and appease him until they notice the dps is worthless and our Earth pet's root is really a novelty not to be taken as seriously as the water pet's backstab or the air pets stuns.)

Tenloar
12-29-2012, 04:08 AM
I found your post very informative, Snagglepuss. I'm currently level 33 Magician, I too agree those guides we have on the website are outdated. What you posted is very helpful to me as well. Thank you =)