Back to Conjuror 101 for me :(

[Azxira]

<p>Hey guys and gals!</p><p>As a result of the responses to my question on T9 spell upgrades I decided to try the Mage pet. So, made myself an Expert level one and went hunting.</p><p>I'm so used to the earth pet...that when I did use the mage pet I found myself squirming in my chair, cringing, closing my eyes and peeking to see if the pet survived. `Did the pet live?  Of course!  The thing is that I felt so uncomfortable using it vs my good ol' stand by Bruute (Azxira's Earthen Avatar) that I switched back to him.  I've been relying on my earth pet since creation and it's a hard habit to break.</p><p>Any basic how to handle your mage pet 101 posts someone cans point me to? </p><p>*feels like such a newb*</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>For soloing, here's what I do:</p><p>Put your mage pet in defensive, and spec your AAs and Gear for full DPS mode (You <em>do</em> have a Mirror right?). When you pull mobs, open with Winds of Velious to snare the critter and then go to town with everything you got. The mobs should die before they even have a chance to reach you and inflict any harm. If they get too close, stun them with Petrify or back away and let the snare do its job.</p><p>I've been soloing with my mage pet since the expansion released (well technically Mythical pet from 80-86, Mage pet from 86-90) and the <em>dramatically </em>increased kill speed more than makes up for the squishiness. And really you won't notice the squishiness unless you're fighting heroics, against no-arrow and one-arrow mobs it has plenty of defense.</p><p>In a group situation:</p><p>Treat it like you would every other pet. Don't leave it in Defensive stance unless you want it to pull aggro. Cast your pet buffs where appropriate, remember to hit /pet attack. You will have to babysit it with Call Servant more often than not.</p>

[Lantis]

<p>Also, get Elemental Blast as soon as possible.  This one makes soloing a lot safer, as it can take down a huge chunk of a mob's health, but it's also as reliable as duct tape when it comes to making sure your pet gets, and KEEPS aggro <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>I found that the T9 mage pet can tank just as well as my mythical could back in T8.  Which means I typically use a planeshifted tank pet only for harder named fights.</p>

[Bhow]

<p>We have a tank pet?!</p><p>But yea, Xalmats post is right on. I have been soloing that way since Myth's in RoK. It's quick, easy, and efficient. One thing he didn't mention that I want to highlight though, spec Animist Bond. It gives your mage pet a sizable amount of survivability when the stuff hits the fan. Planeshift, Blast, Bond, that thing is on your pet and never leavin it and your pet now has 3*power + hp in terms of health till its dead. Add in stoneskins, pet DI, and you have one very dead mob before your pet dies.</p><p>I love Bond even in raids. One more way to keep your pet up when something goes hinky. My pet def. tanked Toxxulia the other night for a good 10 seconds while we rez'd the tank.... Pet agro, Stoneskins, bond, run to the tank spot, Call servant, strap on your helmet, and pray lol.</p>

[Kain-UK]

<p>What Xalmat said is a pretty good way to use your mage pet.</p><p>Winds of Velious to snare the mob. If you're fighting several mobs at once (say a couple of down arrows, or several double-downs), then I find Ice Storm works better as it's a green AOE with a snare component. In either case, when the mobs start wandering slowly towards you, just unload with your nukes and have your pet do the same.</p><p>You've got a death prevention, plus a melee hit stoneskin for your pet. Those will help keep it alive. Also, your pet heal is now affected by +ability modifier, potency and crit chance, so it's VERY easy to keep the pet alive if you're quick with the heals. As the previous poster said, Animist Bond is also very useful for the solo Conjuor with the mage pet. I actually solo'ed my carpet quest at around 55 using that and the scout pet (fighter pet didnt do the DPS required and died too quick, scout pet did the right DPS and mage pet died too quick).</p><p>Another nice one is taking the Stoneskin AA in the EoF/Conjuror tree for solo spec. That's the one that gives your pet a stoneskin along with your personal stoneskin. So if something is beating on you, then you can hit that to prevent damage to yourself, deaggro and help your pet. Then you've many abilities to have your pet hold aggro, plus keep it alive. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />That's how I solo'ed my way to 80 anyways. 81-90, I used the myth pet until 85, and then the expert t9 mage pet.</p>

[Badmotorfinger]

<p>I haven't used my tank pet yet this expansion...  Of course this is mostly due to how fugly it is.  The only time I see myself using him is on tough control immune mobs.</p><p>Have I mentioned how ugle that [Removed for Content] of a tank pet looks?</p>

[Lantis]

<p><cite>Badmotorfinger@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I haven't used my tank pet yet this expansion...  Of course this is mostly due to how fugly it is.  The only time I see myself using him is on tough control immune mobs.</p><p>Have I mentioned how ugle that [Removed for Content] of a tank pet looks?</p></blockquote><p>Farm Shard of Love for fairy illusion petamorph wands.  THere's something utterly fascinating in having a bug-sized fairy tanking a large golem <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Badmotorfinger]

<p><cite>Lantis@Antonia Bayle wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Badmotorfinger@Venekor wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I haven't used my tank pet yet this expansion...  Of course this is mostly due to how fugly it is.  The only time I see myself using him is on tough control immune mobs.</p><p>Have I mentioned how ugle that [Removed for Content] of a tank pet looks?</p></blockquote><p>Farm Shard of Love for fairy illusion petamorph wands.  THere's something utterly fascinating in having a bug-sized fairy tanking a large golem <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>lol, I may have to do that.</p>

[Azxira]

<p>*hangs her head*</p><p>I'm stinking at this. Got me a mirror so now I need to set up what's been posted as group/dps?</p><p>*trudges off to practice some more*</p><p>*glances back*</p><p>Any suggestions of where to practice?  You all don't want to even ask bout how many times I've gone splat.</p><p>*sighs*</p><p>*trudge*</p><p>*trudge*</p><p>*trudge*</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>Any non-arrow mob is perfect cannon fodder for soloing with the mage pet.</p>

[KingofDarkness79]

<p>If you still are finding that you are having problems shot me a tell as we are on the same server and I will come help ya out with what I can. Been playing the Conjy since KoS.....love my Summoner!</p><p>Send me a PM if you want my in game name.</p>

[Woetohice]

<p>I don't understand...if you're grinding solo quests (aka, virtually no encounters) why wouldn't you use the scout pet? When you do possess minion on both the mage/scout pets and calculate the DPS from the ca's and melee, scout clearly does more single target DPS than the mage pet.</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>Not so, unless your seriously lacking in pet gear. It's been proven time and time again that the mage pet <em>vastly</em> outperforms the scout pet even on singles.</p>

[Woetohice]

<p>well that could be it then...i have zero pet gear. (just ding'd 70 ten days ago, now 87)</p>

[Jasuo]

<p>The key to turning that unhappy soloing frown upside down is <a href="http://eq2.wikia.com/wiki/Trade_Secrets" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><3 ~Scio</p>

[erais]

I had very good luck grouping with the Scout Pet before mythical. seems as if the mage pet took too long to ramp up damage and i suffered on the parse. IDK i used both.

[Xalmat]

<p><cite>erais wrote:</cite></p><blockquote>I had very good luck grouping with the Scout Pet before mythical. seems as if the mage pet took too long to ramp up damage and i suffered on the parse. IDK i used both.</blockquote><p>Perhaps this is the case at lower levels.</p><p>It's definitely not the case once you start investing in the Sentinel's Fate and Shadow Odyssey pet AAs, and you start acquiring useful pet gear (stuff with Molten Carnage, Power Flux, Quicksilver Blood, etc). And it's definitely not the case when you fight two or more mobs, or you fight mobs that live longer than 15 seconds.</p>