Stompy - Trackable Hunter Pet (Goat)

Stompy is a level 88 grey goat, and one of two rare elite trackable hunter pets that can be found in Kun-Lai Summit. (The other is Bristlespine the Porcupine.) Like other trackable pets, he has a unique skin. He has a very windy patrol route up and around the mountains. As a matter of fact, in several places he can even be found walking almost completely vertical as he moves up and down the mountainside. (See map below for his exact path.)

How to track: Like the other trackable hunter pets, you will not be able to see him when he's up. He is completely stealthed. In order to locate him, you will need to find and follow his tracks - tracks that thankfully only hunters can see. Once you've found his tracks you'll need to follow them until you don't see any more. This is where I like to wait and watch where I think that he'll be walking next. Often times you'll see a new track appear right in front of you - this means you've found him!

Once you find him, the only way to see where he is, will be for him to walk through a flare. Don't throw your flare down on top of the track he just left, throw it a little further out in front of where you think he is. When he walks through your flare he will become visible. You can take this opportunity to tame, or you can throw a Hunter's Mark on him - which will keep him visible to you when he goes back into stealth. Hunter's Mark will make him visible to you, but only you when he's in stealth.

Stompy's tracks are called "Heavy Tracks", and they look nothing remotely like any track you'd ever expect to see from a goat. Like other beasts' tracks they do not stay up indefinitely; the furthest ones behind disappear one by one as new tracks are created. His tracks are dark green in color and almost his entire path is on white snow, making his tracks quite easy to spot. As a matter of fact, Stompy's tracks were probably the easiest of all the trackable hunter pets for me to find.

Savage - Trackable Hunter Pet (Cat)

Savage is another one of the new rare elite trackable hunter pets that we'll be seeing in Mists of Pandaria. I have a feeling this beautiful kitty will be the most highly sought after of all the rare elites. (I personally find his model and colors quite visually appealing.) He is a level 85 white & black striped tiger (cat). He patrols from the eastern side of the zone near Emperor's Omen all the way to the western side . (See map below for his exact path.)

How to track: Like the other trackable hunter pets, you will not be able to see him when he's up. He is completely stealthed. In order to locate him, you will need to find and follow his tracks - tracks that thankfully only hunters can see. Once you've found his tracks you'll need to follow them until you don't see any more. This is where I like to wait and watch where I think that he'll be walking next. Often times you'll see a new track appear right in front of you - this means you've found him!

Once you find him, the only way to see where he is, will be for him to walk through a flare. Don't throw your flare down on top of the track he just left, throw it a little further out in front of where you think he is. When he walks through your flare he will become visible. You can take this opportunity to tame, or you can throw a Hunter's Mark on him - which will keep him visible to you when he goes back into stealth. Hunter's Mark will make him visible to you, but only you when he's in stealth.

Savage's tracks are called "Bloody Tracks", and like other beasts' tracks they do not stay up indefinitely; the furthest ones behind disappear one by one as new tracks are created. His tracks are green & brown in color and only slightly darker than the ground he walks across in several areas. His tracks were one of the tougher sets for me to find, especially in the shaded areas he patrols through. If your serious about finding this pretty kitty it is absolutely crucial that you turn ground clutter on the lowest setting.

Hexapos - Trackable Hunter Pet (Water Strider)

Hexapos is another one of the new rare elite trackable hunter pets that we'll be seeing in Mists of Pandaria. He is a level 90 white "fen strider" type water strider. He can only be tamed by hunters that are Beast Mastery spec, and he can be found patrolling through a very large portion of Dread Wastes. (See map below for his exact path.)

How to track: Like the other trackable hunter pets, you will not be able to see him when he's up. He is completely stealthed. In order to locate him, you will need to find and follow his tracks - tracks that thankfully only hunters can see. Once you've found his tracks you'll need to follow them until you don't see any more. This is where I like to wait and watch where I think that he'll be walking next. Often times you'll see a new track appear right in front of you - this means you've found him!

Once you find him, the only way to see where he is, will be for him to walk through a flare. Don't throw your flare down on top of the track he just left, throw it a little further out in front of where you think he is. When he walks through your flare he will become visible. You can take this opportunity to tame, or you can throw a Hunter's Mark on him - which will keep him visible to you when he goes back into stealth. Hunter's Mark will make him visible to you, but only you when he's in stealth.

Hexapos' tracks are called "Mysterious Tracks", and like other beasts' tracks they do not stay up indefinitely; the furthest ones behind disappear one by one as new tracks are created. His tracks are fairly light in color compared to the dark ground that he's walking on - making them a little easier to find in my opinion. As I've mentioned before, turning ground clutter onto the lowest setting will make finding tracks a lot easier.

Basilisks (Tamable in MoP) Get a Makeover

With the addition of basilisks as a new hunter pet family in Mists of Pandaria, a very large number of them across the world will be getting face-lifts. This change will affect at least four rare basilisks including Scale Belly, Hissperak, Hellgazer and Deatheye.

Not only do each of these rares get a nifty new look, but it also looks like they will each be getting their own unique look. I personally like these new skins and am quite fond of the pinkish-purple accents they'll be getting. For anyone who preferred the old skins, they will still be available elsewhere. 

Here are the before and after models of each of these rare basilisks:

Scale Belly - level 31, Cape of Stranglethorn

Desolace Rare Spawns

Desolace, a zone that was once a barren wasteland littered with bones, has been given a breath of new life since the Shattering. Desolace sits on the western coast of Kalimdor, just south of Stonetalon Mountains and north of Feralas. There are half a dozen rares ranging from level 31-34 that call Desolace their home.

Crusty the crab is the only rare in this zone with a large patrol route. He is also the only neutral rare in this zone, and he's tamable by hunters. He even has his own post on this blog here: Crusty.

The rest of the rares in this zone have multiple spawn points in different general areas, but they do not move between these points once spawned in.

Hissperak the Basilisk will also be tamable in MoP, and his colors will be changing slightly to purple/pinkish accents instead of blue. I believe he will also have a unique skin. =)

Hissperak's new color scheme in MoP

Click map to Enlarge

Each of these rares as you'll find them in the world, in order by level.

Rockhide the Immovable - Trackable Hunter Pet (Basilisk)

Rockhide the Immovable is another one of the new trackable hunter pets that we'll be seeing in Mists of Pandaria. He is a level 89 pink basilisk that can be found patrolling through the middle of the mainland in Townlong Steppes. (See map below for his exact path.)

How to track: In order to find Rockhide you will need to find and follow his tracks, which are only visible to hunters. Once you find the "end" of his tracks you will need to use a flare in order to make him visible. (If you are standing inside of the flare, you will aggro him.) I recommend not throwing your flare right in front of the most recent track, but instead  placing it slightly further out. The idea is to get him to walk through it. If placed too close to the most recent track, you will likely miss him. Once Rockhide has walked through the flare he will become visible not only to you, but to others as well. At this point you can start taming him, or you can throw a Hunters Mark on him. Hunter's Mark will allow you, and only you to see where he is. If another hunter applies their Hunter's Mark he will disappear from your sight when he goes back into stealth. If he is heading into an area filled with hostile mobs such as the Gai-Cho Battlefield, placing Hunter's Mark on him and following until he is in a safe location to tame may be wise. (Regurgitated info, yes. But I do think it should be in each of these posts.)

Rockhide the Immovable's tracks are called "Worn Tracks", and like other beasts' tracks they do not stay up indefinitely; the furthest ones behind disappear one by one as new tracks are created. His tracks are fairly dark in color, and so is most of the ground that he's walking on - making them a little harder to find. I definitely recommend turning off ground clutter for this beast, and actually any of the other trackable beasts. It's amazing how much more visible the tracks become when ground clutter is put on the lowest setting.

Bloodtooth - Trackable Hunter Pet (Dragon Turtle)

Bloodtooth is one of the new trackable hunter pets that we'll be seeing in Mists of Pandaria. He is a level 87 dragon turtle that can be found patrolling along the shoreline and small islands in the southern part of Krasarang Wilds. (See map below for his exact path.)

How to track: In order to find Bloodtooth you will need to find and follow his tracks, which are only visible to hunters. Once you find the "end" of his tracks you will need to use a flare in order to make him visible. (If you are standing inside of the flare, you will aggro him.) I recommend not throwing your flare right in front of the most recent track, but instead  placing it slightly further out. The idea is to get him to walk through it. If placed too close to the most recent track, you will likely miss him. Once Bloodtooth has walked through the flare he will become visible not only to you, but to others as well. At this point you can start taming him, or you can throw a Hunters Mark on him. Hunter's Mark will allow you, and only you to see where he is. If another hunter applies their Hunter's Mark he will disappear from your sight when he goes back into stealth. If he is heading into an area filled with hostile mobs, placing Hunter's Mark on him and following until he is in a safe location to tame may be wise.

Bloodtooth's tracks are called "Muddy Tracks", and like other beasts' tracks they do not stay up indefinitely; the furthest ones behind disappear one by one as new tracks are created. His tracks are quite dark in color and he mostly walks along a fairly light surface, making them one of the easier sets of tracks to find. Be aware - he does patrol through the water quite a bit, so if you're tracking him and lose sight - don't forget to check the water!

Blasted Lands Rare Spawns

Blasted Lands is a desolate zone, largely inhabited by demons and orgres on the south eastern corner of the Eastern Kingdoms. It is home to the Dark Portal - the passageway to Outland, as well as fourteen different rares ranging from level 55 -60.

Rares in the Blasted Lands are a little special compared to other rares found throughout Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor. Each one of these rares has a 50/50 chance to drop either an Imperfect Draenethyst Fragment, or a Flawless Draenethyst Sphere in addition to the typical green item.

The Imperfect Draenethyst Fragment and Flawless Draenethyst Spheres each start a quest. The Imperfect Draenethyst Fragment starts One Draenei's Junk, which rewards Kum'isha's Junk. The Flawless Draenethyst Sphere starts Kum'isha's Endeavors, which rewards Emerald Encrusted Chest. Kum'ishas Junk will give you a nice random green-quality item, and the Emerald Encrusted Chest will always give a nice blue-quality item and often times an additional green-quality item as well. Both of these quests can be turned in to Kum'isha the Collector, a level 60 lost one (who also happens to be a ghost). Kum'isha can be found standing inside of a crater just north of where Ravage spawns. (See above right Screenshot - click to enlarge.)

 

Hunting down the rares in this zone can prove to be a pretty fun and quick way to make some decent gold for anyone willing to spend a few minutes here and there looking for these guys. (I often times find about half to two-thirds of these guys up at a time when I go looking in the morning before work.) Many of the green items received from turning the quests in, and from the rares themselves are armor pieces often sought after for transmogrification. It is not uncommon to get pieces of the Revenant Plate, Templar Plate, Lord's Mail, Ornate Mail, Engraved Mail, Masterwork Mail, Emerald Plate, Hyperion Plate, Nightshade Leather, Murcurial Mail, Swashbuckler's Leather, Righteous Leather and other sought after sets.

Durotar Rare Spawns

Durotar is a harsh, dry zone on the eastern coast of Kalimdor. It is the starting area for both orcs and trolls, and home of the great Horde capitol city Orgrimmar. Durotar is also home to five rare spawns ranging from level 6 - 10.

Geolord Mottle and Captain Flat Tusk share two similar spawn points, and it is possible to find them both up in one of the camps at the same time standing literally just a few yards apart.

Sergeant Curtis spawns in at least a couple of different locations in Tiragarde Keep. He can spawn in the upper level where you'll find the quest npc, Lieutenant Palliter. He can also spawn on the main floor standing in an empty room on top of a grate. Naturally, he is friendly to Alliance players.

Death Flayer is tamable by hunters, and although not a unique skin he'd certainly make a nice first rare pet for a low level hunter. He also moves very, very quickly.

Click map to Enlarge

Each of these rares as you'll find them in the world. ~

The Darkmoon Rabbit

I was strolling along the beach of Darkmoon Island a couple of days ago when I stumbled upon a cute little bunny. "Awwwwww, how adorable" I thought, "What's this poor little bunny doing out here all by it's lonesome self?"

I watched him clean his face with his cute little paws for a while, and scratch himself with his big poofy bunny feet. After a long preening session, he turned and started nibbling on something beneath him. I wondered..."what could he be eating on the beach? I hadn't noticed any grass or other greenery nearby..." That's when I started to open my eyes. It was like a light-switch suddenly turned on in my brain. I noticed bones littering the beach and cave nearby, the cute little bunnies face was covered in red; and something told me it wasn't from strawberries and fruit punch flavored popsicles... I targeted him, and my heart nearly stopped as I saw the "skull" on this little guy's portrait and 174M health. I backed away slowly hoping that I wouldn't alert him of my presence.

Map of Rare Pandarian Champions by Type

Below is a map showing where each one of the rare Pandarian Champions needed for the Glorious! Achievement can be found throughout the continent of Pandaria. I have color coded them by their type (see legend on bottom left). For example, all Pandaren Champions are marked in yellow, all Mantid Champions in pink, etc. On the right I have them separated out by zone, the zones are in order by level from lowest to highest.

Map is quite detailed...pls click to enlarge

(To see an even larger image of this map you can also right click the image and view it in another tab. From there you should be able to zoom even further.)

Below I've listed links to posts covering the rare champions in each zone in greater detail. These posts each have a detailed map, screenshots of each rare, where they can be found, each rare's abilities, what their special drops are, etc.

• The Jade Forest
• Valley of the Four Winds
• Krasarang Wilds
• Kun-Lai Summit 
• Townlong Steppes
• Dread Wastes
• Vale of Eternal Blossoms

Mulgore Rare Spawns

Mulgore is a grassy valley surrounded by mountains on all sides, and is home to the Tauren and their great city Thunder Bluff. Mulgore is also the home of eight different rares ranging from level 4-10. As you move north through the zone the level of each of these rares increases.

The first one you will likely run across while leveling is "Pokey" Thornmantle. Upon entering combat with him he'll yell "Pokey find a fish!",  and if you look closely in the screenshot below you'll notice he did indeed find a fish.

Arra'chea used to be level 11 and spawn in the northern part of the zone. Looting her horn was a requirement for the end of the questline Rites of the Earthmother. She has since dropped in level and now drops the typical 6 slot baggie and massive experience like other rares around her level. When I killed her she also dropped Squishy Cud, which I thought was rather icky.

Mazzranache, oh how I love thee pretty pink birdie... Mazzranache is the flippin' awesome looking pink flamingo (Tallstrider) that I subject you all to looking at in my header. Mazz matches the Swift Lovebird and the Mulgore Hatchling pet. She(or he?) also drops an armor item unique to her loot table called the Sleek Feathered Tunic. Mazz patrols around the Thunderhorn Water Well with four wee little birdies in tow. They each have their own names: Hazzranache, Razzranache, Jazzranache and the teeniest one Spazzranache. When Mazz is killed her chicks run around frantically for a while, poor little guys. Mazz also has a standalone post on this blog here: Mazzranache, with some more screenies and a taming video.

The Rake used to be a highly desirable hunter pet for his super fast attack speed waaaaaaay back in the day before they normalized all of the hunter pets. He also drops (very low drop chance) a piece of armor unique to his loot table called Lionfur Armor.

Click Map to Enlarge

All of these rares as you'll find them in the world in order by level. ~

Rare Pandaria Hunter Pets - A New Kind of Challenge

If there were one thing in MoP Beta that I had been biting my nails in anticipation for, its rare hunter pets. Well, we've finally got em' ...and with a fun new twist! These pets need to be tracked down...literally. These beasts have long, windy patrol routes where they will leave tracks behind them as they walk. Each rare has their own unique track, and here's the kicker...the pets are completely stealthed.

The only way these beasts will become visible is for them to walk through a flare. Hunters Mark can be applied to them while they are in the flare to help aid in tracking for that particular hunter. Another interesting thing to note, is that both tracks and the pets are only visible to hunters! (Hunter's prayers have been answered by the gods of WoW!) ^-^

Their tracks do not stay up indefinitely; the furthest ones behind disappear one by one as new tracks are created where the beast is walking. Currently the tracks are a bit buggy. On Beta right now nearly all tracks need to be followed BACKWARDS in order to find the beast making them. Some of the tracks also spawn in under ground, and others float strangely over the terrain making them even more difficult to find.

The most difficult tracks for me to follow were Patrannach's Barely-Visible Tracks and Savage's Bloody Tracks. The reason for this was because they blended in so well with the terrain, and because each had occasional missing tracks. One thing that help out a LOT when looking for any of the tracks was to put ground clutter on the lowest setting.

So far there are nine pets altogether, with at least one in each zone. They range in level, with the lower level ones naturally residing in the lower level zones. They are currently classified as elites with golden dragons around their portraits, and although they do hit hard most people shouldn't have trouble with them. (I tamed Savage with a level 85 hunter, and he still didn't get me lower than 60% health without a frost trap or deterrence up.)

So without further adieu, let me introduce these new pets in order by zone. ~

Click on the name of the rare to be taken to the page on that particular pet with extra screenshots, maps, video and far more information.

Jade Forest

Name: Glimmer (Water Strider) **Exotic pet
Track type: Flooded Tracks
Rough location: Near The Arboretum and down past the Temple of the Jade Serpent