Wonderous Wisdomball Change and General Binding Guideline for Battle Pets

This post is late coming but as some may already know, the Wonderous Wisdomball is now Bind on Pick Up as of Patch 7.2.


I only made this discovery after finding out I overlooked one of my alts that had the quest to obtain this pet. Double-checking the reward and to my dismay the item that teaches the Wisdomball was not Bind on Use, as I expected it to be, but instead BoP. This companion remains un-cageable.

@RestoKay on Twitter discovered a Wowhead comment that strongly implies this change from BoU to BoP was intentional.

@perksnpeeves I found a comment on @Wowhead from January where a GM said it was a bug that they were tradeable: https://t.co/BoEsIATnPn

— Kaylei (@RestoKay) April 21, 2017

It's pretty disappointing news for many collectors, but I suppose it shouldn't come as a huge shock. Pets that are not cageable are usually that way for a reason - the developers want them to be exclusive, unique, and earned through specific means by players themselves.

Another example of a "bugged" pet item this expansion is Lagan. Initially, completing the achievement Poor Unfortunate Souls rewarded a BoU pet, however upon adding it to the Pet Journal it became uncageable. It was a very odd circumstance, as all other achievement rewarded pets are not tradeable or cageable in any manner. Lagan was an anomaly.

So it really shouldn't have come as much of a surprise when Lagan was eventually fixed in late Januaray and its binding was corrected to be BoP.

However, I think what was more shocking was how long developers let the pet continue being bugged with the wrong bind, without any clarification that that was the case. I think this is what really caused upset within the collecting community.

The same can be said for the Wonderous Wisdomball. Some collectors are not happy about the change, and rightfully so. After we've come THIS FAR into the expansion and the bug is only being fixed now? Without prior word or clarification on the intended binding of the companion?

Perhaps it wouldn't be as big a deal had there been an official note stating that Lagan and the Wonderous Wisdomball were bugged, and they should not be tradeable or cageable -- collectors would know what to expect and what's intended.

But since a forewarning wasn't made available and I don't think Blizzard can give us a heads up every single time, I think we could all use a refresher on how battle pets (usually) work. Here's quick review of what the general binding standard is for pets. Keep in mind there will always be unique cases, and not every pet will (or has to) follow these guidelines.

• General rule of thumb -

Pets that are not cageable are normally not tradeable. If they are, it's probably unintentional (bugged).

• Achievement pets -

Not tradeable or cageable in any manner.

• Dropped pets -

Depends on the pet and source. Can be a mix of BoP, BoU, cageable, and not cageable.

• Wild pets -

Not tradeable or cageable in any manner.

• Blizzard Store pets -

Not tradeable or cageable in any manner, with the exception of the Guardian Cub.

• Profession pets -

Depends on the pet and source. Can be a mix of BoP, BoU, cageable, and not cageable.

• Promotional pets -

Not tradeable or cageable in any manner, with the exception of TCG pets.

• Quest reward pets -

Depends on the pet and source. Can be a mix of BoP, BoU, cageable, and not cageable.

• Raid dropped pets -

Mix of BoP and BoU, but almost always cageable.

• Vendor pets -

Depends on the pet and source. Can be a mix of BoP, BoU, cageable, and not cageable.

It's truly disappointing news about the Wonderous Wisdomball; many collectors are still battling RNG and were hoping to buy one at a reasonable price. With this change, the ONLY source for this companion now is a drop from the Kirin Tor emissary. It doesn't occur very often, so better rally all of your level 110 characters to be ready to complete some WQs when Kirin Tor does pop up.

And if a collector receives a second Wonderous Wisdomball? We've seen that Blizzard has the tech to turn a previously un-cageable pet into a cageable one, as with the case of Bonkers, so we can only hope that Blizzard will make the Wonderous Wisdomball cageable post-Legion. Right, Khadgar?


You're killing me here, Khadgar.

7.2.5 PTR - Pet Battle Dungeon (Deadmines) Preview

UPDATE: Most recent PTR build (Build 23958) changed how the three new pets are rewarded.

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Hot on the heals of Wailing Caverns Pet Battle Dungeon, we've got the next part of the story - Deadmines! This scenario is currently up on the 7.2.5 PTR and is ready for testing.

Here's an overview of what this new dungeon is all about. Note that because this is from the PTR, all of this is subject to change.

!!! Prerequisite: Complete the Wailing Caverns Pet Battle Dungeon quest (Normal). It's unclear if the Challenge version is also required in order to access the Deadmines quest.

Breanni (Dalaran, Broken Isles) will have a new quest for you in 7.2.5 - "Deadmines, Part Three?"

This quest sends you to Westfall to speak with Marcus "Bagman" Brown. Despite us clearing out Deadmines not once, but twice, he's hearing strange things coming from inside and would like for us to investigate. Who knew Pet Battlers would be such awesome detectives? :P

There's a total of 7 Stages in this Pet Battle Dungeon, with a total of 9 different pet encounters. Backline pets were variations of generic crabs, rats, and parrots (all common quality).


► Stage 1 - What Is All This Junk?: Defeat Foe Reaper 50 (this might be a typo, pet's name is actually Junk Reaper 500)

Single pet fight against an epic level 25 Mechanical pet with Boss passive.

► Stage 2 - Terrible Tunnel: Defeat Unfortunate Defias and Angry Geode, plus their teams

     

Both are uncommon level 25 pets with the Elite passive. First is Undead and second is Elemental. Backline pets do not have any passive/buff.

We killed all the defias inside Deadmines, but somehow their ghosts have become battle pets that we must defeat. How strange haha!

► Stage 3 - Worst. Guard. Ever.: Defeat Mining Monkey and its team

Rare level 25 Beast pet with the Elite passive, plus two backline pets without any buffs.

► Stage 4 - Outta My Way. You Oaf!: Defeat the Oaf Runt ("Captain" Klutz)

Single pet fight against an epic level 25 Humanoid pet with Boss passive.

Who is this guy? More importantly, HOW is he a battle pet?! (He's taller than my nelf!)

► Stage 5 - Cannon Crazy: Defeat Klutz's Battle Rat, Klutz's Battle Monkey, and Klutz's Battle Bird, plus their teams

          

All three are uncommon level 25 pets with the Elite passive. Critter, Beast, and Flying. Backline pets do not have any passive/buff.

After seeing these pets with little pirate hats on, I really want tiny pirate hats for my battle pets now too!

Also, how are these pets manning the ship's cannons? O_o

► Stage 6 - Shadowy Figure: Confront the Shadowy Figure (not the same one we saw in Wailing Caverns!)

Who could this be? What happened to the mysterious figure that was in Wailing Caverns? What are they doing in these dungeons with these pets? And why? :O

► Stage 7 - The Soup's Gone Bad!: Defeat Cookie's Leftovers

Single pet fight against a legendary level 25 Magic pet with Boss passive.

This pet has high health, high speed, plus actively uses crowd control and heals itself.

Same as the Wailing Caverns Pet Battle Dungeon, completing Deadmines will reward an Ultimate Battle-Training Stone, Manapoof Link: Westfall (allows the NPC next to Breanni to teleport you directly to the Deadmines quest giver), and unlocks the Challenge version.

Pet Battle Challenge: Deadmines (account-wide weekly quest) - rewards Mr. Smite's Supplies (chance to drop 2 new pets) one (1) Old Bottle Cap (new currency)

Players can use this new currency to purchase the three Deadmines-themed pets.

• Pet Reaper 50 - 1 Old Bottle Cap
• Pocket Cannon - 3 Old Bottle Cap
• Tricorne - 2 Old Bottle Cap

These pets are BoP and are no longer cageable. This means if collectors want these pets, they'll have to complete the Challenge version of Deadmines Pet Battle Dungeon at least 6 times.


The main thing I noticed during the Deadmines scenario is that the difficulty seemed to spike at the very end (Stage 7), relative to the other encounters.

I would say the dungeon is more 'intermediate' than beginner due to the more diverse pet families you go up against, but it's still doable by even less experienced battlers. The end, however, contrasts with that and I could see some newer battlers struggling with the legendary boss pet. As usual, veteran battlers and those with a large selection of pets to choose from should have no problem.

Overall, I enjoyed the content and was much happier with the length. 9 encounters vs. 11 in the Wailing Caverns was much more pleasant to run through. The atmosphere and setting was also a lot more enjoyable, and there was less travel time between battles.

7.2.5 PTR: Three New Pets & Deadmines Pet Battle Dungeon

The 7.2.5 PTR is now up! There are three new pets (so far), and *drumroll* a new Pet Battle Dungeon! This time it takes place in the Deadmines.


Pet Reaper 50 - Drop: Mr. Smite's Supplies (presumably the reward bag from the Challenge version of the Deadmines Pet Battle Dungeon)


Tricorne - Drop: Mr. Smite's Supplies (presumably the reward bag from the Challenge version of the Deadmines Pet Battle Dungeon)


Pocket Cannon - Achievement Reward: Pet Battle Challenge: Deadmines (complete the Challenge version of the Pet Battle Dungeon)


Quest from Breanni for the new Deadmines Pet Battle Dungeon!

I haven't had a chance to try out the dungeon yet, but I will most definitely put together a preview/overview as soon as I do. ^^;

Confirmed: Squirky Not Yet Available

In an interesting turn of events, developer Jeremy Feasel clarified on Twitter that Squirky is still not yet available.

@Kamboozle Squirky is not yet available, you'll know it when it happens!

— Jeremy Feasel (@Muffinus) April 12, 2017

This is a little surprising as he has hinted at many "secrets" still undiscovered in-game. Many collectors assumed Squirky was on that list, but it would appear that we're mistaken!

So where could this pet come from? Wowhead Site Director Perculia speculates that it might be from a promotion (either BlizzCon or other), due to the fact that one of the advertised plushies is a yellow murloc.

@perksnpeeves @Muffinus Think it's related to a promotion because of this BlizzCon merch pic (guy holding yellow murloc plush) pic.twitter.com/lvbtE7bDCc

— Data Hunter Perculia (@perculia) April 12, 2017

Personally, my hope is that it's not tied to a Blizzard Store item and that Squirky will be readily available in-game. Collectors have waited this long, and still continue to patiently wait, so it would be heartbreaking to find out the availability of this pet is limited only to those that can afford to buy a physical item.

In the end we'll just have to wait and see!

Happy 10 Years WarcraftPets!

7.2 has been a whirlwind of things to do, so I'm a few days late... but HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY WARCRAFTPETS!! ^_^

To celebrate, I took a quick selfie with Breanni in her new Dalaran shop on the Broken Isles. :P


I joined WarcraftPets as a normal member in 2008, roughly a year after the website launched. Little did I know just a couple years after that, I would be volunteering for one of the best companion pet resources out there. It's crazy how time flies!

I'm absolutely honored to be helping with WarcraftPets and humbled by the friendly community. Thank you to everyone for making WarcraftPets what it is today. And a BIG thank you to Brian (Breanni) as well for getting this awesome-ball rolling, and for giving me the opportunity to be a part of that awesomeness.

In 3 years I'll be celebrating 10 years with WarcraftPets - hopefully I'll still be on board to see that milestone. :)

Here's to many more wonderful years!

Weebomination and Nether Faerie Dragon 7.2 Updates

UPDATE: Stinkrot also received a new look. I think all DK pet models were updated, resulting in an update to battle pets that use the same appearance.


OLD (pre-7.2) Stinkrot appearance - more polygonal



NEW (post-7.2) Stinkrot appearance - smoother look overall, higher quality details
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It looks like Weebomination and the Nether Faerie Dragon received some updates in 7.2. Thanks to Brawler for the heads up.

Here are some comparison images.


OLD (pre-7.2) Weebomination appearance - lighter tone overall with distinct entrails coloring



NEW (post-7.2) Weebomination appearance - darker ton overall with more apparent stitching




OLD (pre-7.2) Nether Faerie Dragon appearance - translucent blue all over



NEW (post-7.2) Nether Faerie Dragon appearance - no longer translucent at all, and wings have the same look as the Sprite Darter Hatchling

I'm kind of sad about the Nether Faerie Dragon change, if I can be honest. I quite enjoyed the translucent blue look because it set it apart from its cousin, the Sprite Darter Hatchling. :(

Patch 7.2 This Week!

The next major content patch is almost upon us, and there's new Pet Battle content plus new pets to collect!

11 new pets to collect

Here's a list of the new pets coming in 7.2.

Note that the Death Knight and Monk companions will not be available at the start of 7.2. Gaining access to these pets on the vendor will require an 11 week campaign which unlocks the class mount quests.

Crackers will also be unavailable until week 3, when the continuation of class campaigns is unlocked.

More information on the new class pets can be found here.

A new toy

Similar to the DK and Monk pet rewards, Mages will be able to unlock a toy that allows battle pets (that normally wouldn't follow players into the air) to fly alongside players.

3 new WQ trainers

These trainers can be found on the new zone, The Broken Shore. They're unlocked after completing the Broken Shore introduction scenario and quests. More information on their teams here. At this time it doesn't look like they will count toward Family Familiar.

Pet Battle Dungeon

If you're level 110 and have at least ONE max level pet (but it's recommended you bring along 3 or more), head over to Breanni's shop in Dalaran (Broken Isles).

A new quest will send you to investigate a mystery in the Wailing Caverns. Completing and turning in this quest will unlock a weekly quest of the same nature, except it's Pet Battle challenge-mode time. For a detailed rundown of the Pet Battle Dungeon scenario, see this blog post.

Similar to the Celestial Tournament, the challenge version of the Pet Battle Dungeon requires at least 15 max level pets, and you cannot heal or revive your pets while inside the scenario.

The challenge-mode weekly quest rewards a bag that drops quite a few Pet Charms, and has a chance to drop one of three new pets (two of which were discovered to be color changers!).

There's also an achievement tied to completing the challenge version of the Pet Battle Dungeon, Pet Battle Challenge: Wailing Caverns, that rewards a new pet.

If you're having trouble getting to Wailing Caverns, there's a new NPC located in Breanni's shop, Manapoof, that will teleport you directly but only after you've completed the dungeon. Being on the quest to seek out Muyani is not enough to get the option for a (free!) port.

Did I miss anything? Please let me know if there's pet/Pet Battle content that I've overlooked. :)

I'm pretty excited about 7.2, if not somewhat (or very, heh) overwhelmed and anxious. So much to do, so little time.

I would have preferred a longer period between the announcement of the release date and the actual release date itself...but *shrug* what can you do?

Can't wait to collect some new pets!

Patch 7.2: Developer Q&A and Patch Release Date

There was a Dev Q&A today that answered some player questions regarding Patch 7.2. You can find the VoD and transcripts either on Wowhead or MMO-Champion.

Here are details related to the new pets in 7.2. The patch is set to be released March 28.

• Unlocking class mounts (and therefore DK/Monk class pets) in Patch 7.2 will take 11 weeks (of campaign), plus exalted w/Armies of Legionfall.
• Earliest for flying is ~2 weeks into 7.2. (Pathfinder 2 is required for class mount quest)
• Not all classes will have class pets (that match their mount and/or in general...?)
• Future Pet Battle Dungeon(s) depend on player feedback and participation. If both are positive and high, there will likely be more dungeons in the future.

I'm absolutely shocked that 7.2 is less than a week away. I would have preferred a bit more heads up, but ahhh. New pets are on the way!

Things to do to prep for patch next week:

- Level DK/Monk/Rogue. Grind AP on DK/Monk to reach weapon level 35 (all 3 weapons for DK), and complete class campaign on Rogue.

- Have at least 3 max level pets for Pet Battle Dungeon (normal-mode), and 15 max level pets for challenge-mode.

Road to 7.2 Class Pets: Personal Experience and Insights

   
I wanted to share my experiences with leveling and preparing a character for the upcoming class pets, so I'll be breaking down the process into sections with some personal insights. Note that this is all based purely on my own testing or observations; other players' experiences may vary.

TLDR; The entire adventure isn't a short one, and shouldn't be seen as something to quickly grind through. I think this is very much meant to be a long-term goal, much like the Argent Tournament pets took weeks to months of dailies (for some collectors, even crossing into multiple expansions).

It's a slow-going task, but it's absolutely doable. These pets will not be removed and they will be waiting for you. Don't let the length of time discourage you from these pets! (Not enjoying the class playstyle is an entirely other matter though...)

Disclaimer: Although though my personal opinion is that collecting the 7.2 class pets is a lengthy task yet doable, I would still advocate a different way for collecting these pets. Even if it's just a slight change. I still think there are some collectors who will feel discouraged and/or left out. That being said, I accept whatever decision Blizzard makes regarding these pets.

Here's a break down with my opinions and commentary to help explain my point of view. Walls-of-text, ahoy!

For a preview of the requirements for Patch 7.2 class pets, see here.

Pre-7.2 Content:

Developer Response Regarding 7.2 Class Pets

There's been an official response from Muffinus (developer Jeremy Feasel) regarding the 7.2 class pets.

Hi everyone! Thanks for your feedback, wanted to drop in a few updates/notes.

In the next build, you'll see that the required currency for each bonus item has dropped from 10000 to 1000 Order Hall Resources. We agree that the "hard part" of getting the bonus items should be maxing out your artifact, not the grind afterwards.

In 7.2, we want these bonuses to feel like a badge of honor for players that have unlocked the final ability on their empowered artifact. For some time they'll be pretty exclusive, and this is intentional. It makes sense for the Blood Death Knight, with their bloody mount, to also have the Bloodbrood Whelpling, showing off their dedication to their specialization.

It's also important to note that we also have no plans to remove these items in the future, and we will re-evaluate their acquisition in a post-artifact world. If you don't want to go for them right now, don't worry, you won't be permanently missing out on anything.

I hope this assuages some of your concerns. As always, we're looking forward to your continued feedback!

Although this isn't the compromise I had in mind, it's far better than nothing and silence. I would have much preferred the removal of the Power Ascended requirement for each of the upcoming class pets, but that seems integral to the experience that Blizzard wants us to have.

Going from 10k resources to 1k is still a notable concession, and will mean a little less grinding on a (possibly alt) toon.

It should also be noted that the Artifact Knowledge research is being bumped up to AK 50. Main characters with max AK can purchase and send alts a tome that will automatically increase the alt's AK to 45. This will hopefully make the AP grind for alts significantly quicker/less painful.

I look at it as encouragement to make progress on my main first and foremost so that my alts can get a significant boost later.

Of course, this doesn't address all issues revolving around these pets, and some collectors will still inevitably be/feel left out.

However, the most interesting part of the developer statement is that they will be taking a second look and reassessing how these pets will be collected post-Legion. This could mean a wide range of things for all types of collectors/players, but we don't know for sure yet.

It's possible that changes made in the future will enable a much larger audience to obtain class pets and toys. Even those that initially felt like it was hopeless to even attempt collecting these pets may see the end of the tunnel.

Re-evaluation is also good news because it will hopefully mean alts will be able to smoothly transition on into new expansion content once they've hit 110 post-Legion, but without missing out on class rewards. It would be awkward if, for example, my Mage needs to hang around on the Broken Isles well past level 110 just to collect enough AP to earn Power Ascended.

Hopefully the re-evaluation ensures that this doesn't have to be the case.

But on that same note, I'm hoping we won't have another situation where the class pets are "moved" to another source. An example of this poor design choice is the Thundering Serpent Hatchling, which was removed as a vendor item from guild vendors that completed MoP Challenge Mode achievements. It eventually ended up on the BMAH as a random drop from a box that also had a random chance of popping up for sale.

If the class pets follow suit post-Legion, it would not make for very interesting or compelling gameplay. Going from a guaranteed source (that requires some time and effort) to a completely random chance seems almost like taking a step back instead of moving forward.

All of this is yet to be seen though. We just don't know what developers are brainstorming for these pets.

I can definitely understand that some collectors will still oppose these new class pets. And understandably so. The reduction in price doesn't necessarily address the different play-styles or players that may not fit in this exclusive box that they've created for each class.

There are still collectors who do not have the time to dedicate to an alt, and may barely even have time to keep up on a main character. There are collectors that cannot bring themselves to play a certain class, maybe because they absolutely dislike the play-style or lore, or simply don't want to take time away from their main. There are MANY different types of collectors, and there will still be opposition to these 7.2 class pets from some of those players.

We have to keep in mind that Blizzard is at the very least considering all of the feedback they've been getting. If you have constructive criticisms about these pets, let developers know in a logical and respectful manner. Perhaps the feedback won't have an immediate impact, but who knows what will happen in the long run. I give Blizzard the benefit of the doubt that they will indeed make good on their word and re-evaluate how these pets are collected in the future.

I just hope that they take into consideration a good portion of the community that feel hopeless and helpless in this situation. And I hope that it won't be too late for said collectors.

Overall, I am personally very glad to hear from Blizzard on this matter. The compromise is smaller than I envisioned, but it's still something. I'm more reassured by the fact that they plan on re-evaluating these class pets as time goes on, and I can only hope that this will also mean more pet collectors than not will have a chance at these pets in the future.

In the meantime, I can only encourage other collectors to see these class pets as a long-term project. Hold onto hope that they are not truly out of reach, and persist through these less favorable times. It may seem unreasonable and impossible now, but there's a chance that things could change for the better.

I've used "hope" and "hopefully" a lot in this post, but that's because that's all I can offer those that still feel discouraged. It's probably not enough to keep everyone collecting and invested in pets, though. And it's heartbreaking, but I understand.

I think Liopleurodonic put it best: "...it's a lot easier to stay motivated when completion is an attainable goal."

I completely agree and encourage Blizzard to keep this in mind going forward.