[Qaedain]

These messages are copy/pastes of PMs I sent to another P99 player inquiring about Mages. They are posted verbatim, so some elements may seem out of context:

Take a look at this table: http://www.xalmat.com/eqsummoners.co...e-library.html

The pet levels are true for Fire, Earth, Air and Water, so I just picked Fire as an example. You can see at level 4 that the maximum pet level is 6, but with the new changes, that pet could be as low as level 2. If the pet hits for 12, you know you have a maximum level pet.

Now skip ahead to level 49. We see that the pet's maximum level is 41. With these changes, that pet could be as low as level 37. Again, the pet's maximum hit will indicate the level.

Each level below the maximum will subtract 2 damage from the pet's maximum hit. So if your character level 49 pet is hitting for 56, he's a max level pet, but if he's hitting for 46, then you know you have a level 37 pet.

Soloing as a Mage is broadly unaffected by this change. Prior to the patch, the pet's level would fluctuate by up to five levels down, but he would always have the stats of the max level pet. Now the pet's stats will actually suffer with their level, but it is perfectly possible to summon a pet that's every bit as powerful as the ones you could always summon before. It'll just take a few casts to get one, and that's how it was on Live for years.

Yeah, it's annoying, but if you're anything like me, your pets last for several hours.

As for tips, I have a couple:

Carrying 60-80 Malachite. You'll chew through pets to get the good ones.

Always memorize both pet heals when you're soloing; you can cast them back to back.

Learn how to chain-summon: begin summoning a second pet while you're current one is alive. Right before the pet finishes its cast, hit the /pet get lost macro. The old pet will be replaced by a new one in 1-2 seconds, allowing you to engage much stronger mobs than you could with the health of a single pet.

Learn to root kite with the earth pet: the earth pet doesn't need to be in melee to root. Run to maximum range, then send him in to attack and back him off repeatedly until he gets a root off. Nuke like crazy and then repeat the process with your pet until another root lands. If you do it right, your pet will stay healthy, you won't get hit and the mob won't get to move much.

If you're in your 30s, farm Paw for Gnoll Hide Lariats. They proc a stun and your Air Pet can proc them like crazy, in addition to his own stun. Makes for a pretty awesome show in a dungeon if you know you'll be there for a while.

Quest in Temple of Sol Ro for the Earthen Boots. They provide a clicky invis from inventory that can be hotkeyed to quickly dismiss your pet if he gets lost, takes the wrong path or is otherwise threatening to cause a train.

Find a clicky item that has a low damage DD on it. You can use it to get the 1-2 points of damage necessary to ensure you'll receive maximum EXP if your pet can solo whatever you're fighting.

That's all I can think of for now.

You should absolutely pursue the focus items. The Staves of Elemental Mastery aren't especially important (unfavorable risk/reward ratio), but the Stein/Shovel/Broom/Torch should definitely be on your wishlist. You only need to have them equipped when the pet is summoned to get the effect; you can put it back in your bags afterward.

Chain-summoning's benefits outweigh the perils of a low level pet. Yes, you can kill reds this way, but not more than about 3-4 levels above you, otherwise you can't land a spell, and your pet can't land melee attacks.

Also for soloing I tend to use Fire, but I prefer to kill quickly. Earth is equally viable. For groups, always use Fire or Water, unless for some reason you need the Air's stun.