Pet Idea: Skywall Djinn

In honor of Robin Williams, Warcraft is making an NPC named after him (also seen here).  What better time to think of Djinn pets?  They have cool models, and their animations have been reused for Pandaren Spirits as well as upcoming Draenor Furies (such as Soul of the Forge and Puddle Terror).

Djinn are creatures native to the Skywall, and are rarely found outside it.  Like other elementals, they would most likely be able to readjust their size at will, making perfect sense for them to be pets.  There could be a total of four Djinn pets, each with their own unique color schemes, based on the bosses in the Throne of the Four Winds.  All the Djinn pets would be Elementals.

Northern Djinn

Based off of Nezir, it could basically be his essence in pet form.  It could drop off of Nezir himself in the Conclave of Winds fight.  Since "northern winds" tend to be depicted as icy, it could have an icy aura, as well as ice abilities.

For moves it could be similar to the Frigid Frostling and Mr. Bigglesworth with moves like Ice Lance, Surge, Frost Nova, Ice Barrier, Call Blizzard, and Ice Tomb.  This pet could be a bit slower than Mr. Bigglesworth, but more powerful.

Eastern Djinn

Based off of Rohash, it could drop off of him as well in the Throne of the Four Winds.  Since his colors tend to appear sandy, he could have a sandy aura and sand-based abilities.

As far as moves, it could be similar to the Living Sandling, having moves like Sand Bolt, Slicing Wind, Sandstorm, Stone Rush, Quicksand, and Cyclone.

Western Djinn

Based off of Anshal.  It could drop from him as well.  Anshal's moves in his encounter are somewhat druidic and windy.  As such, the pet could have a leaf or wind aura radiating from it.

For moves, it could have wind and nature moves, such as Wild Winds, Poison Lash, Soothing Mists, Autumn Breeze, Spore Shrooms, and Acid Rain.  All would fit well with what he does in his encounter in the Skywall.

Southern Djinn

Based off of Siamat in the Lost City of the Tol'vir.  He is the Lord of South Winds - belonging to the Conclave of Winds.  He was sent out into Uldum to convert the Neferset into forces for Deathwing.  As such, the pet could use his model, and it could drop off of him (normal and heroic).

He seems to simply have arcane, lightning and wind-themed moves in his dungeon encounter, making his abilities easy to choose.  Arcane Blast, Zap, Gravity, Lightning Shield, Ion Cannon and Call Lightning would be perfect abilities for him.

Let me know what you think?  Would you like a Djinn to follow you around Azeroth?  Are you happy to see Robin in-game?  Let me know on Twitter!

Pet Idea: Amani Loa Bijous

Like one of my recent posts, today I'll be talking about the Loa revered by the Amani tribe.  There are only four, and all of these people make excellent pets for players to collect.

Akil'zon Bijou

Akil'zon is the Amani Loa of the Eagle, and seems to be similar to Aviana - they both have some sort of leadership and reverence in the culture of birds.  Admittedly, this pet would look identical to the Tickbird Hatchling.  Instead, it could have glowing eyes, an aura, or look like the boss in Zul'Aman (which is a Troll that was blessed by Akil'zon).  Either model would work, and it could be a flying type pet.

The pet itself could drop from Akil'zon in Zul'Aman, or it could be from an idol in one of the villages on the eastern side of Eversong and the Ghostlands.  As far as what the lootable item would look like, the Forest Trolls have been known to have this statue of Akil'darah - a similarly named bird Loa:

As far as moves, it could be a fairly typical flying-type moves, such as Alpha Strike, Caw, Quills, Lift-Off, Predatory Strike, and Cyclone.  All of those moves would fit in well with what is shown in Zul'Aman as well.

Nalorakk Bijou

Nalorakk is a black bear Loa of the Amani, and also blessed his follower in Zul'Aman.  For his model, he could have a sized-down black bear model, as shown above, or the model of the blessed priest in Zul'Aman.  If his model was kept as a simple bear, he could have glowing eyes or an aura to show his Loa status.

Like Akil'zon, the bijou could drop from the appropriately-named boss in Zul'Aman, or it could drop from a lootable statue.  And while it is Drakkari, a fitting statue would be:

Nalorakk could be a beast type, and have some typical bear moves: Bite, Roar, Hibernate, Maul, and Rampage.  Instead of Bash, it could have Black Claw (which would work well with Rampage).

Jan'alai Bijou

Jan'alai is the Amani dragonhawk Loa, and seems to have fiery powers.  It could have the model shown above, or share the model with the boss in Zul'aman.  That dragonhawk color is a mount, but not a battle pet.  Either model would work well.

It could be a drop from the boss in Zul'Aman, or a statue outside.  There are no dragonhawk statues in the game that I'm aware of, so it could have this instead:

This statue is found in many Forest Troll areas, and would serve well enough as a lootable object for players to get a dragonhawk pet.

It could be a dragonkin pet.  As far as moves, it could have some other dragonhawk pet abilities, with more fire-based moves thrown in, such as: Claw, Burn, Flyby, Conflagrate, Lift-Off and Flame Breath.

Halazzi Bijou

Halazzi is the Amani lynx Loa.  As a pet, it would be the only lynx as a pet, but it could also have the same model as the boss in Zul'Aman.  There are Springpaw Cubs in Eversong that are about the same size as pets, so sizing down the model probably wouldn't cause any problems.

The pet could drop from the boss in Zul'Aman, or from a lootable statue outside.  There are no lynx statues, so another Drakkari statue for Har'koa could work instead:

It could be a beast-type, which could have some feline moves, such as: Spirit Claws, Pounce, Rake, Moonfire, Feed, and Prowl.  I chose moves similar to Xu-Fu since both the Celestials and the Loa are mystical beings that may be related.  

What do you think?  Would you like Loa pets to match your Trolls?  Let me know on Twitter!  More posts to come in the future!

Pet Idea: Naaru!

Naaru are pretty awesome.  They're basically the highest form of "Light" in the universe Warcraft is set in.  They are benevolent, soothing beings that we mortals cannot even grasp.  They can also become pure Void when mortally wounded, becoming powerfully dangerous enemies - though it is rare.

Whether you're a paladin, priest, shadow priest, or even a warlock, the Naaru have not forgotten you - and here are four Naaru pets that would make excellent additions to our collections!

Spirit of Light

A light-based Naaru.  It could drop from a bag of a Naaru tamer daily, along with two other pets I'll mention next.  Since it doesn't look "humanoid" I would label it as a "magic" pet.

The abilities it could have would be Light, Prismatic Barrier, Surge of Light, Beam, Flash, and Illuminate.

Spirit of Shadow

Shadow is a fusion of Light and Void in Warcraft, and these bluish Naaru seem to be in a transition state.  It could also drop from a bag from a Naaru pet tamer daily.  Likewise, it would be a magic pet.

Abilities it could have would be Shadow Shock, Shadow Slash, Soul Ward, Soulrush, Nether Blast, and Sear Magic.

Spirit of Void

A mostly Void-state Naaru, coming from the same place as the other Naaru pets.  It could be a magic or undead pet and make sense either way.

Abilities it could have would be Nether Blast, Forboding Curse, Darkflame, Haunt, Unholy Ascension, and Soulrush.

Shadow of M'uru

This pet could drop off M'uru when they make the next Raiding With Leashes achievement.  Like the last pet, it could be considered undead or magic.

The shadow's abilities could be Focused Beams, Curse of Doom, Call Darkness, Shadow Slash, Wild Magic, and Portal.  Alternatively, it could have moves based off M'uru and Entropius' abilities in Sunwell Plateau, such as Black Hole (though, Portal and Call Darkness are very fitting because of Open All Portals and Darkness).

What do you think?  Would you like to get a Naaru pet of your own?  Share it with me on Twitter!

Pet Idea: Ancient Guardling & Redeeming Spirit

There have been quite a few pets that match different races, classes, and even specs.  I know my Pandaren Shadow Priest always has a Gooey Sha-ling or Droplet of Y'Shaarj following her (going with her Glyph of the Sha and LFR Horned Nightmare recolor quite nicely).  Druids have plenty of critters and plants to follow them.  Monks have babies of the August Celestials that are quite perfect for them, or even a Pandaren Monk.  Warlocks even have a few demons (to go with their demon pets).

However, there are very few "holy" pets out there.  The only ones that come to mind are Mini Tyrael, Murkalot, and the Unborn Val'kyr - which the last one could be considered better for a Death Knight than a priest or paladin.  Non-battle pets include the Argent Squire and Argent Gruntling.  A semi-holy pet would be the Nordrassil Wisp and perhaps the Spirit of Summer for Night Elf priests or druids.

Thinking of other pets that would be suitable for our paladins and priests was, actually, difficult and fun.  Here's what I've come up with.

Ancient Guardling

Based off the Guardian of Ancient Kings, it would be a perfect little pet for paladins.  It could be a wild pet (the first I've suggested, I believe!) from Arathi Highlands - specifically Stromgarde.  I can't think of more of a place with more "ancient kings" than the first human empire.

The model for the pet could be the actual model itself, but I would prefer a Mini Tyrael/Unborn Val'kyr model made to look like the Guardian.  That would be fitting, as well as adorable.  This pet could be a humanoid or magic pet.

For abilities, it could have any combination of moves from Murkalot and Mini Tyrael, up to and including: Righteous Inspiration, Restoration, Holy Charge, Holy Justice, Holy Sword (or, a renamed version, considering Tyrael's sword name is in the description), Omnislash, Surge of Light, or any other light-based moves.  Fortunately, Murkalot and Mini Tyrael have the most suiting moves for this little guy.

Redeeming Spirit

Much like the Ancient Guardling, the Redeeming Spirit could have the same base animations of the Unborn Val'kyr.  It would be fitting, and it would make sense, considering they seem to be good and evil versions of one another.  This pet would be an undead type, like the Val'kyr as well.

The Redeeming Spirit could be another wild pet, found in graveyards around the world, particularly in starting zones, such as Elwynn, Durotar, Dun Morogh, Mulgore, etc.  It would be an easy pet to find (realm permitting, of course) and would be fitting in graveyards where their larger sisters hang out.

For abilities, it could have Spectral Strike, Ethereal, Call Darkness, Light, Restoration, and Unholy Ascension.  That set of moves would all work together fairly well, and she would definitely be a pet people would want to use in some tougher battles.


The next post will have Naaru pets.  Let me know what you think on Twitter!

Beta 18689: The Best Pets Ever

Build 18689 came out today with two VERY interesting pets: Frostwolf Pup - which I'm extremely happy about, and a Pygmy Cow.  They also announced where the Molten Corgi will come from - the 10 year anniversary for World of Warcraft.

All three pets are extremely important pets to me, simply because I.  Love.  Dogs.  And I'm from Wisconsin.  Cows are pretty plentiful (though, I don't live in a city anymore, and have seen them a lot more often).  I have speculated if the pet may be due to my suggestions, but I truly doubt it.  At this point I'm not recognized enough to warrant a pet made for me, or because of me.  Which is why I shall keep on truckin' in this blog.  

However, with actual news, I'm quite concerned for Hogs, the mini Hogger pet that may have been a decoy all along.  I was genuinely really excited for that pet.  Don't get me wrong, the Molten Corgi will be mine, and he will be loved dearly.  But, I do hope that Hogs isn't forgotten as well.  I don't really think it matters how we obtain him, for the record.  I just hope he makes his way into my collection.  Humanoid pets (no matter how low res they are) are always welcome by my side! 

Soon I'll post more pet ideas.  I also want to start making mount, toy, glyph, and even quest ideas.  However, it'll still focus mostly on pets.

See you on Twitter!  Thanks for reading!

Pet Idea: Harmless Zombie & Zomblin

We've had plenty of undead pets, and some of them have been humanoid in nature.  However, there have been a couple models that would be great pets that haven't been implemented.

Harmless Zombie

Zombies are lesser forms of ghouls, which are simply reanimated corpses.  They have very little (if any) will of their own, and mostly shamble forward to their victims.  They usually aren't very large, being about the size of a human, or smaller.  If a zombie pet was implemented, I would hope it would be a little smaller than the Ethereal Soul-Trader, while still being a good size that is believable as an animated human body.

It could drop from Precious and Stinky who both summon tons of these sort of adds when you fight them.  As a battle pet, it could have moves like Bone Bite, Rot, Consume, Absorb, Bone Barrage, and Stench.  The pet could have an associated achievement for using it to defeat an enemy Singing Sunflower as well.

Zomblin

Goblin Zombies were really only seen on the Lost Isles, where pygmy witchdoctors were sacrificing the Bilgewater Goblins for Volcanoth to eat.  Since there wasn't really a reason to use the model again, they never did.  However, I'd like to see it again as a pet.

The pet could be obtained from a new quest near any neutral goblin zone - Gadgetzan, Fuselight, Mudsprocket, etc.  The graveyard could have a new quest giver, who could be a ghostly goblin who lost his body and can't make his way back to life.  You're sent to go out and find the pieces of his body, which were taken by the local mobs.  Kill the mobs, get the pieces from their loot tables, and come back to the ghost.  You put together the body, and it comes to life without the goblin's soul.  He shrugs and say you can keep the body and use it for whatever you want.  The quest reward is the [Zomblin].

As a zombie pet, it could have several of the same moves as the Harmless Zombie.  Some of the moves could be replaced with mechanical moves, like Missile or Make it Rain - it would after all be a goblin!

What do you all think?  Let me know on Twitter!  Thanks to Wowhead for the pictures from their model viewer!

Pet Idea: Aqir-Related Humanoids

It's no secret that I love humanoid pets - especially if they're larger pets, or actual-sized models.  As such, a couple models that would be perfect would be some minions of the Old Gods, specifically the Qiraji, Mantid, and Nerubians.  We've already had some of those, such as the Qiraji Guardling, Kovok, the Mini Mindslayer, and the Silithid Hatchling.  But, as a fan of Old God lore, I'd love more of the descendants of the Aqir to follow me around on my adventures in Azeroth.

Warning: There will be pictures of insect and arachnid beings rather up-close.

Qiraji Bruiser

Based off the Qiraji Gladiator, the Qiraji Bruiser would be a good fit for an Aqir-descended humanoid pet.  His older model could size down well enough for a pet.  It could be a drop from General Rajaxx in the Ruins of Ahn'Qiraj.

As for moves, it could be similar to the Guardling and the Anubisath Idol, having mostly humanoid and sand-based moves.  It could also have insect-related moves.  Such moves that come to mind are Crush, Sandstorm, Swarm, Swarm of Flies, Rupture, and Reckless Strike.

Nerubian Hatchling

Cute, right?

The Nerubian Hatchling could be a drop from Anub'arak in Azjol-Nerub, or Elder Nadox in Ahn'Kahet: The Old Kingdom.  It would be fitting either way.  The actual item could be the [Preserved Nerubian Egg], showing that the Nerubian Hatchling would be alive and well.

However, it would still be a humanoid battle pet.  As far as moves, it could have very spidery and humanoid moves, such as Punch, Spiderling Swarm, Sticky Web, Brittle Webbing, Screech, and Skitter.

Mantid Drone

Mantid Drones tend to have wings, but at some point they seem to shed their wings when they become warriors.  This drone could either have wings or not - it could even change colors between the various "clans" of Mantid found in Townlong and Dread Wastes.  It could drop off the various drones found in either zone as well, or simply drop off Grand Empress Shek'zeer on all difficulties.

As far as moves, it could have Quick Attack, Swarm, Amber Prison, Pheromones, Digest Brains, and Dodge.  Kovok's moves are fairly close to what the Mantid as a whole do in their culture.

(Screenshots thanks to Wowhead's model viewer, as always!)

I will continue the "bijou" ideas in the future for Troll Loa pets!