Raiding Pet Choice

[Kinox]

<p>So i haven't seen any recent threads about which pet does more dps in a raid situation.  One would hope that if you're in the mage group (troub/fury group) that you would get more dps from using your mage pet, even if you're spec'd for scout for some reason.  I'd just like to get some feedback from the necro community about what pets people are using these days (Mage pet was the choice in t7, but with RoK, this might have changed.) </p><p> Personally, i feel that if you're a raiding necro, your raid spec should be for mage pet, not scout unless you are SURE you're gonna be grouped with melee buffers most of the time.  I dont know many raid leaders who would make that choice (read: mistake).  Troubs should always have Aria and dove song up if they have a mage grouped with them and if theres a necro they should have raxyl's up as well.  What this means is that not only do YOU get more dps from the troub, but your MAGE pet gets the casting bonuses as well.  Your scout uses CA's which are not affected by troub buffs or by Maestro.  Not to mention your scout doesn't have poisons so its not benefiting from the INT buffs from both you AND your fury's group buffs.</p><p>But lets say you decide to spec scout because most fights in RoK are single target mobs and you feel your scout gets more unbuffed dps.  Is that natural dps MORE than your mages buffed dps?  I would hope that its not.</p><p>Anyone else got some info, parses, etc?</p>

[Sabutai]

<cite>Tamiro@Vox wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>So i haven't seen any recent threads about which pet does more dps in a raid situation.  One would hope that if you're in the mage group (troub/fury group) that you would get more dps from using your mage pet, even if you're spec'd for scout for some reason.  I'd just like to get some feedback from the necro community about what pets people are using these days (Mage pet was the choice in t7, but with RoK, this might have changed.) </p><p> Personally, i feel that if you're a raiding necro, your raid spec should be for mage pet, not scout unless you are SURE you're gonna be grouped with melee buffers most of the time.  I dont know many raid leaders who would make that choice (read: mistake).  Troubs should always have Aria and dove song up if they have a mage grouped with them and if theres a necro they should have raxyl's up as well.  What this means is that not only do YOU get more dps from the troub, but your MAGE pet gets the casting bonuses as well.  Your scout uses CA's which are not affected by troub buffs or by Maestro.  Not to mention your scout doesn't have poisons so its not benefiting from the INT buffs from both you AND your fury's group buffs.</p><p>But lets say you decide to spec scout because most fights in RoK are single target mobs and you feel your scout gets more unbuffed dps.  Is that natural dps MORE than your mages buffed dps?  I would hope that its not.</p><p>Anyone else got some info, parses, etc?</p></blockquote>Being in the troub group is not totally negative for having a scout pet.  Most troubs nowadays spec with the double attack buff, you also have the melee crit buff and I'm not sure if alegro the casting speed buff effects CAs or not.That being said, with a full spec in either direction either mage or scout there are some surprising differences.  In T1 and T2 in RoK the scout pet, at the same spell quality, does slightly more dps than the mage.  In T3+ the mage pet just blows it out of the water.  This is mostly due to the horrible spell scaling of the mage pet at ad3, as I don't have the scout m1 to compare anymore I do not know if my previous statement is true for scout/mage in T1 and T2.

[Mew]

<p>Assuming you have an optimal raid party then the mage pet while grouped with a troubador is ideal.  However, I find that I never am grouped with an optimal raid party.  The best I can hope for is being grouped with a priest that is AA spec'd for group spell haste.  My guild's raids tend to have nice melee buffs and debuffs so the scout works out a bit better.  </p><p>Things to consider if raiding with the scout pet - much of the pets dps will come from auto-attacks.  What determines if an auto-attack hits is the mobs defense, parry, and block skill vs the scout pet's attack skill.  The rest of the pet's dps will come from CA's that are poison and disease based.  So, to optimize the scout pet the raid party will need to debuff the target's defense, parry, block and riposte skills in addition to reducing the mobs melee mitigation.  Also, the scout pet will need attack speed, piercing skill, double attack and proc buffs (yes, the scout can use group-wide proc buffs like anyone else).  "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!"  (couldn't resist that).  <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/97ada74b88049a6d50a6ed40898a03d7.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" />  </p><p> What can you do to make your scout pet viable?  First, get the AGI and WIS line of your summoner AA's max'd out.  For the necro AA lines get 5 pts into Enchance: Assassin pet.  Take the Pacts line to get Blood Pact for the pet AOE immunity.  Optionally, fill in the STR line to get implode pet - handy when your scout pet runs out of power.   Eventually, you will want the Master I pet spell.  But those are very rare drops and extremely overpriced on most brokers.  Also, you want at least adept III on Gluttony, Howl from Beyond, Necromantic Pact, Rending, and Necrotic Reconstruction.</p><p> P.S.  Positioning the scout pet behind the mob is a good way to avoid ripostes and forward arc attacks.  Possess Minion comes in handy there.</p>

[Griffildur]

<p>I can't say I'm an expert raider, but I do go to some raids every now and then.</p><p>I always use the mage pet, always and the same do all the other necros / conjurors in our guild. Most raid mobs / bosses have AOE damage and when it hits usually the scout is down instantly. I don't have the ability that let's you cast another quickly so if my scout is down then it takes a while to have him out again.</p><p>There are raid mobs that get healed when hitting / killing - not sure if it applies to pets , but I don't want to find out the hard way from the RL.</p><p>The main advantage is that the mage pet attacks from distance and yes /pet range is a must.</p>

[Griffildur]

One more thing to add. Positioning the scout behind a raid mob is rarely an option. Usually everyone stays in decided places and the MT can't always make sure that the mob has his back at the casters, for various reasons

[Mew]

That is my point, Griff.  It doesn't matter if the mob has its back to the casters or not.  It really doesn't matter where the MT positions the mob (unless the mob's back is against a wall).  With posses minion you can move the pet wherever it needs to be.  Yes, the mob may ping a bit if the MT loses aggro but the scout pet will follow it until its dead or you command /pet backoff.  Optimally, you will want the scout pet somewhere in the mob's rear arc (all the raid melee classes except for the MT will be there) but that is not always possible.  However, with a good MT it is more likely than not to be an option.

[Xariuss]

I was on a HoS raid and wanted to use my OC during the event. From the threads i've read about using the OC, I was ready to try it out. Now i'm just not sure how many Non Necro's know the viability of using the OC. But every time i pulled it out, people freaked!! Peeps asking me to kill my pet as if it were the "Wipe out Bug". Now i may be exaggerating, but seriously how many of you guys used the OC incorrectly and scared all the people of Norrath!?On a serious note though how many of you guys are using the Ooze Crawler during raid events? Do you alternate pets during raid events? I've since specc'd to using lifeburn, but really really want use OC during a raid event.....

[Zapo]

Hey, if they don't like your ooze crawler (OC) just drop it and let them wipe. *chuckles*Ok, serious now. The OC is a special pet. I don't use it during a whole raid. I don't even use it on any encounter which we have on "farm" status, known as sure kill. I only use it on those difficult encounters which give us a hard time. As soon as we can handle that encounter very well I will drop the OC next time and watch the outcome. Actually, I am not really a big fan of the OC. He is definately useful but he can't do miracles.Do I switch between pets beside OC ? Yes, but of course most of the time I use the damage pet (scout or mage) I am specced for. Anyway, if there is an encounter where the other pet makes more sense I definately switch.Btw, you can get Ooze,Bloodpact <b>and</b> Lifeburn from Necro tree.

[Mew]

/nod Zapor.  That is exactly what I use OC for and how I use it.

[Axanar]

Hiyas!So I know that the Mage pet is far preferable in higher tier RoK raids, and in T7 the mage pet performed much better.Anyone seen any data or experienced the difference between the T8 Scout and Mage pets on EoF raid encounters? I am currently scout spec'ed and have been doing well with it, but I am always in the mage group in raids which gives me a suspicion that maybe I could be doing better if I were using the mage pet. I know the people over at eq2flames seem to really prefer the mage pet, but they are all doing much more recent content than I am <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />.

[Mew]

<p>I've tried them both in Protectors Realm instanced raid zone.  They worked out about the same.  No bard in my group either time.  Just a fury, another necro, and a couple of warlocks and a brigand.  No big caster buffs there.  I was spec'd AA AGI line for the scout 21 pts and respec'd 21 pts in INT line for mage pet.  Also, 5 pts for each pet in Gravecalling.</p><p> The difference I noticed was that keeping the mage pet alive was a tad easier due to /pet ranged.  The rez on the scout pet was ok except I kept getting knocked back or stifled so the rez timer (10sec) often ran out before I could get the pet rez off.  Also, one mob had a knockback dmg shield that kept my scout pet pretty much at bay. </p><p> I should point out that in both cases I had the tainted heals line of AA's instead of the Blood Pact line.  I do solo a lot.  However, if I had the blood pact ability those pet deaths would have largely been avoided.</p><p>I think that once I stop most of my soloing and do more raiding (once I hit 80) I will respec to mage pet and blood pact AA's.  For my guild's make up that just works better.  I will save the scout pet for small groups.</p>

[Griffildur]

<cite>Mewse wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I've tried them both in Protectors Realm instanced raid zone.  They worked out about the same.  No bard in my group either time.  Just a fury, another necro, and a couple of warlocks and a brigand.  No big caster buffs there.  I was spec'd AA AGI line for the scout 21 pts and respec'd 21 pts in INT line for mage pet.  Also, 5 pts for each pet in Gravecalling.</p><p> The difference I noticed was that keeping the mage pet alive was a tad easier due to /pet ranged.  The rez on the scout pet was ok except I kept getting knocked back or stifled so the rez timer (10sec) often ran out before I could get the pet rez off.  Also, one mob had a knockback dmg shield that kept my scout pet pretty much at bay. </p><p> I should point out that in both cases I had the tainted heals line of AA's instead of the Blood Pact line.  I do solo a lot.  However, if I had the blood pact ability those pet deaths would have largely been avoided.</p><p>I think that once I stop most of my soloing and do more raiding (once I hit 80) I will respec to mage pet and blood pact AA's.  For my guild's make up that just works better.  I will save the scout pet for small groups.</p></blockquote><p>I did Labs last night and this time I alternated between scout and mage pet. For once the scout pet didn't die, not even once , but then neither did the mage <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />. The difference in dps does not seem noticeable. </p><p>Scout is probably better against 1 target but if you happen to fight a group then the mage is definitely the way to go for more damage. </p>