More questions from a now 43 conj

[Nanite]

<div>First of all thanks to all the people who gave advice in my last thread (from a 30 conj) <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />. Now I got a couple more questions. First of all, when do you guys use the fire pet, and when the air pet? as I understand it, the fire pet is more aoe and the air is better at single targets. I got air pet master 1 and have been using it pretty much exclusively. I group with a bruiser almost exclusively, and his aoe taunts are not the best (they get the job done, but not as good as some other tanks aoe taunts), so I've been leary of using the fire pet much, for fear it'll draw agro and then get itself and me killed. Air pet has been doing plenty of damage anyway <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.</div><div> </div><div>Second question. I know the common wisdom is that air and fire pets are for grouping and earth pet is for soloing, but I find earth pet kills stuff too slow. I have been using air pet (master1) and offensive stance (also master1, got that one for about 30gp, couldnt believe it when I saw it on broker <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />, and air pet was only 60 gp), and he just creams even high yellow down arrows (has a bit of trouble with stuff 4 levels higher, but with me using stuns/stifles he does fine). The only weak spot in this strategy is 3+ member mobs, as I can only root one, and that leaves two pounding on the pet or me. Those are fun fights as there's some real risk involved but I haven't died yet (come close a couple times). Now I will say I haven't had an ad3 earth pet since the first pet, do they do way more damage once you get them to ad3? If not, why would anybody use them if the air pet kills stuff 3x faster? I know that eventually we can solo heroics with the earth pet, but aside from that air pet is good enough for most solo encounters, and gets the job done way faster then earth pet. I'm waiting for guild sage to make my level 38 earth pet, so I may change my tune once I get him (sage is slow but he works for free, so I can't exactly complain <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> ).</div>

[Zachatan]

<div></div><p> Where to begin... First off... Earth pet for soloing... is the way to go.. yes the output of dmg of the air pet is great... but come on... my dmg is greater... my earthpet will taunt control all agro... has so much life i dont have to worry about him very much... and i can mass dmg my encounter...  Air pet can die really quick on some bad hits...</p><p>Next... lets add in what all of this does... now the fire pet is well fire.... and i really enjoy using my master 1.... Really destroys everything... while in a group... does a good job... My Air pet in a group though does no aoe much on the single mob it works on... really does a great amount of dmg to the Mob...  This is where your choice comes in... as long as teh tank doesnt forget to taunt you should be fine on not getting agro... also at 43 you the ability to protect yourself and remove agro if your pet does take it and die...</p><p> </p><p>All i know is when i get 60 i have my master 1 air pet ready to play with.... my fire pet i dont really use very much for the such low hp... but still the dmg it dishes out is great...</p><p>Earth = HP galor....</p><p>Air = Middle HP ground DP galor....</p><p>FIre = Low hp and DR galor....</p><p>Me and my Earth pet = Lot of HP and Dmg Galor <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Thoc]

Yes, the air pet kills things fast. But, he'll last about 3-4 hits. I find that at the higher levels, the earth pet mitigates damage and holds agro to a point where you can cast all your other DoT's and get mobs down. By and large, I can kill the tough mobs with the earth pet with a much higher degree of success that if I brought out the air/fire pet. If your fight will last longer than what you can stun the mob, the air pet will die. <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />I must admit that the fire pet is still my most unused pet. Air hits so hard and fast, it's hard to justify the fire. Now, the fire pet does a lot of AoE. If I know we're going to hit groups of mobs, the fire pet is the choice for me.As you've said, then fighting a group of mobs, you'll need the earth pet for AoE taunts.As you roll into your 40's, you're going to find it hard to kill blue ^^ or higher mobs with the air pet. Earth will find his place in your heart.<div></div>

[Banditman]

My PoV is as an end game raider, currently L59.I find myself using my Fire pet more often than any other on raids.  The Fire pet will stay near me for 10 to 15 seconds at a time casting.  This is very important on raids.  One AE from a raid mob will kill ANY of our pets, so having one who stands next to me (out of the AE) is very helpful.  I still find him dying when I don't notice that he's wandered into danger, but far less often than Air or Earth.In Solo'ing, I find myself using the Earth pet when I'm killing anything Heroic.  His surviveability is simply too far above that of Air or Fire to do otherwise.  At L58, I managed to kill a L54 ^^^ Named with two ^ companions.  This is about the most impressive thing I've managed to kill yet, and boy that was a close one.If I'm solo'ing solo con mobs, I'll use Air and just go massive DPS.  I've killed yellow ^ solo mobs this way.  The entire fight lasts about 15-20 seconds.  Either I die or the mob dies.  White or less solo cons = Air all the way.  His DPS is just insane under the correct circumstances.In regular grouping, I'll use Fire and Air, depending on our target.  Fire if we are killing more groups than singles, Air if we are killing more singles than groups.

[EyeForg]

<div>I'm 43 also <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></div><div> </div><div>Most of the time I've been grouping with the exception of the past few days (I'm sick of lizardmen). </div><div> </div><div>Soloing I rarely use the earth pet except when I'm going after ^^^ heroic mobs or large groups of ^ heroic mobs.  Mostly I stick to the Air pet and blow him up when he's low on health + root mob if it gets too much for him to handle.  (I slack on the DoT's if it's a mob I haven't fought before so my root will stick).</div><div> </div><div>In groups I generally start out with the Fire pet and keep him out as long as the tank can hold aggro.  If he gets aggro too much (and I end up dying a few times) or there is a mezer in party I pull out the Air pet.  If I keep getting aggro with the Air pet I then pull out the fighter pet.  If I pull out my fighter pet thats my way of telling the tank that he sucks.  Once my Fire or Air pet gets aggro I'm pretty much dead.  At least with the fighter pet he is a big meat shield with a decent party heal / power regen right before he dies.</div><div> </div>

[XtremSummo]

<div></div><div></div><p>Things changed a fair bit in the live update that added abilities to our pets (last one). New state of affairs is probably:</p><p>General:</p><p>Fire pet: For grouping and for soloing weak groups of green mobs and gren/blue (sometimes white) solo singletons.</p><blockquote dir="ltr"><p>Fire pet single target DPS is now better than air pet in most situations.</p><p>Against weak solo group encounters, fire pet + AoE dots and nukes will kill pretty much anything before the fire pet gets hit much. Use AoE nuke first to slow the encounter giving you and the pet time to kill them before they reach you.</p></blockquote><p>Air pet: For somewhat tougher solo stuff, single ^ mobs and groups of 2 ^ (or sometimes ^^) mobs.</p><blockquote dir="ltr"><p>Extra HP of the air pet allows it to take a few hits while you're taking down the solo groups that the Fire pet can't kill quickly enough or when there isn't enough space for you to use the fire pet range to your advantage.</p><p>Extra HP allows the air pet to take down singletons pretty well and quickly while taking a hit or two.</p><p>Groups of 2 ^ or ^^ mobs can be taken by rooting one and killing the other quickly and then taking down the second.</p></blockquote><p>Earth pet: For soloing singleton Heroics and Heroic Groups.</p><blockquote dir="ltr"><p>Anything where you need a tank.</p></blockquote><p> </p><p>For Raiding where AoE isn't advisable or is prohibited by raid leader: Air pet.</p><p>For Raiding where AoE is allowed, Fire pet.</p><p> </p><p>The value of the Earth pet is in his tanking and holding aggro - not in his damage. If you have Adept 3 Earth pet then he will stand up well with help and your own damage is key to bringing stuff down. His main advantage will come against really tough opponents. If your Master Air pet is working for you though.... then use that. I'd advise upgrading the Earth Pet to Adept 3 though and trying out some other techniques. You'd be surprised at what you can achieve and how quickly you can kill with your own DPS when the tank is holding aggro.</p><p>X</p><p> </p><p>Message Edited by XtremSummons on <span class="date_text">01-09-2006</span><span class="time_text">01:31 PM</span></p>

[Magu]

I'm a big fan of the air pet in offense or defense depending on situation - unless i'm killing heroics, I don't need the bigger HP pool of the earth pet.

[StaticLex]

<div>I use the air pet pretty much all the time, group <em>or</em> solo.  I still think the fire pets blow.  Maybe not as bad as they did before but they still aren't good enough for me to use.  The earth pet I don't use too often unless I need some extra tanking time to burn a mob down.</div>

[Blitzrain]

<div><p>Also use Air probably 90% of the time. </p><p>Use Earth only against heavy AE raid mobs.  I'd probably use it if I was in some tankless group, but I am 60 and never grind, so that need never arises. </p><p>Use Fire on some raid mobs (does some great DPS in the right situation), but I don't like it in single group settings at all.  Mobs just drop too fast...it seems to lose a lot of DPS because it can't finish casting a spell or its DoTs can't fully cycle before it's target dies.  The Air pet can do some pretty sick dps on raids, so I don't feel cheated by not using the Fire (and the extra babysitting it requires in raids).</p></div>

[Mordith]

I am 60 now, since level 50 I use aery for 90% of soloing.  This includes single encounter heroic ^^^ mobs.  The only time I break out myrm is when I am fighting multiple mob heroic encounters.  As to fire, I use it when I am fighting solo multiple mob encounters or even grey multi mob enounters (for quests). For grouping, I go with air unless there are alot of multi mob enounters and the tank has proven that he/she can hold agro well, in which case I go with fire.<div></div>

[GSOO]

<div></div>I also judge if the kills are going to be fast.......I will use the scout pet in offensive for all out dps....and I support with all the stuns and stifles. I blow up the camps and spawn the named fairly easy at the gnoll Oasis in SS. Those are the single groups btw. If going against heroics ...choose the earth pet.