Hatchling Direhorns Followup

As anticipated, the Hatchling Direhorns have been made friendly to players and all previously tamed hatchlings will remain white.


At least those who were worried about their white direhorns changing will be set at ease by this news. :) And hey, at least the babies are even better eye candy now: there are more colors!

Transcription:

Hey guys, quick update from Kalliope on the 5.3 PTR. As expected, the baby direhorns are now marked as friendly to players, so they can no longer be tamed. All existing tamed babies on the PTR turned into white direhorns. This not only confirms that no unintended pets will be making it to live servers, but the existing direhorns tamed from here will be unchanged. Oh well, better luck next time, pet seekers!

Where the Wild Things Are: Hatchling Direhorns

If there's one thing some hunters can't get enough of, it's the unintentionally flagged baby pets. Meet the reskinned Hatchling Direhorns from the Isle of Thunder.


The odds of hunters getting to keep the new Hatchling Direhorns are incredibly low, like the other unintentionally tameable baby pets that preceded them. Most likely, the current version of the hatchlings will be grandfathered out and the new baby direhorns will have a new id and be untameable. So don't get your hopes up!

Transcription:

Hey everyone, Kalliope here with a very unlikely to stay, but still adorable tame from the PTR.

Yes, we're back on the Isle of Thunder at the Zandalari-controlled pen of rotating dinosaurs. On some days, there are baby raptors who are friendly to players and on others, there are tameable white dire horns. On the 5.3 PTR, these dire horns have been changed to blue babies. As of right now, they are still tameable, though it is highly unlikely that they'll remain that way. While there's a chance that white dire horns tamed now will morph into the babies after patch 5.3 hits, there's no guarantee that the babies won't get a new id number prior to the patch going live. Still, if you've got the stable space and you're a gambler, you can try.

For the latest news on the baby dire horns and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums. Back on the Isle of Thunder, this is Kalliope, showing you where the wild things are.

1,000 subscribers!

Viewer Kevin Crysler is subscriber #1,000! I can scarcely believe there are so many of you. :)

Thank you all for your support! We've come a long way since the MoP beta and will continue to journey through Azeroth in the months to come. :D

Where the Wild Things Are: Portent in Patch 5.3

Today's update includes some minor plot spoilers for patch 5.3 and this post contains a NSFW image at the bottom, so consider yourself doubly warned!

Suffice to say that certain events directly impact Portent (previously) and he has compensated for them.


Transcription:

Hi guys, Kalliope here with a quick update from the patch 5.3 PTR regarding our good buddy Portent. This involves minor plot spoilers for the patch, so you've been warned.

Warchief Garrosh has mutilated a sizable section of the Vale, right in the middle of Portent's path. Instead of the softly rolling yellow hills that Portent walked over before, there is now a steep drop to the dirt of the new mining quarry below.

But Portent does not care that there is now a quarry filled with goblins in his way. Oh no, he walks where he pleases, be it straight down a rocky cliff face or back up said rocky cliff face, underneath buildings or over dangerous drilling equipment.

Portent does not care what some "warchief" or "safety experts" say. In fact, he has changed his path to deliberately walk over these things. Portent goes where he wants and he does not care what you think.

He leaves his paw prints where he pleases and does not care that they are harder to see. This is HIS Vale and we're all just unwelcome guests in it.

I'll be watching to see if he decides to start piloting shredders in a future build. If he does, you'll hear it first here and on the Petopia forums.

The TLDR version:

Where the Wild Things Go: Patch 5.3 Stable Expansion

Yes, you heard right - as of the current patch 5.3 PTR build, Blizzard has retracted its "hunters are not crazy cat ladies" statement and given us a whopping 55 stable slots!



I personally can't imagine filling all 55 spaces on either of my max level hunters, but will happily pick up the few pets I had to set free who never quite worked as minipets. How will this change impact your hunters? Show off your new planned families in this thread on the Petopia forums!

Transcription:

Hey everyone! Kalliope here on the patch 5.3 PTR, just about to visit the stable with my good buddy Tiresias. Now, let's see, who do I have on this copy of Kalliope....wait a minute, what's this? What are these extra pages? It looks like...more stable slots?! Fifty of them, in fact, plus five for our active pets, for a total of 55 pets! It looks like the Blizzard devs have changed their minds about hunters not being crazy cat ladies after all. That's good news to many of my subscribers and the hunter community at large. It doesn't look like there are any restrictions on the extra slots at this time - hopefully that won't change. If you're in need of a fainting couch or just want to scream with joy, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums. This has been Kalliope showing you where ALL the wild things go.

Patch 5.2 KPoP Roundup

With patch 5.2 coming next week, I'll be taking a break before finishing the 4.2 series that the 5.2 series interrupted. They've waited this long, so they can wait a few more weeks. :)

In preparation for the patch, here's a rundown of all the videos I've done that apply to the changes coming with it:

Patch 5.2 Playlist

1. Amber Parasites no longer tameable 
2. Gorishi Grubs no longer tameable 
3. 5.2 Preview 
4. Spirit Porcupines: Degu, Gumi, and Hutia 
5. Dire Horns 
6. Zandalari Devilsaurs 
7. Fierce Anklebiters (unfortunately no longer tameable)
8. Slateshell Wanderers and Slateshell Ancients
9. Saurok Disguise
10. Luminescent Crawlers
11. Isle of Thunder Stable Masters

Be sure to tame your Amber Parasites and Gorishi Grubs before they're unflagged on Tuesday! And starting on March 5th, all nine of the stealthed rares will have their tracks facing forward, so be aware while hunting them.

Where the Wild Things Go: Isle of Thunder Stable Masters

The Isle of Thunder will have its own stable masters, saving hunters a trip back to Townlong Steppes.


Transcription:

Hey everyone, Kalliope here with a little twist on our usual coverage. Today, I'll be showing you where the wild things go on the Isle of Thunder.

Not all daily hubs with their own zone have their own stable masters, but the Isle of Thunder is one of them. Each faction has its own stable master.

Alliance players will recognize Tassia Whisperglen from Dalaran's Magical Menagerie, where the high elf watched over hunters' pets until the recent Pandarian conflict.

The Horde have a brand new stable master, a blood elf by the name of Ranger Shalan. The Sunreavers had to recruit him from their ranks due to Dalaran only having one stable master.

Both stable masters start out on their faction's fleet when the Isle of Thunder is initially unlocked. If the faction's daily hub moves, they will too.

For the most current information on stable masters and the hunter pets they care for, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

From the Isle of Thunder, this is Kalliope showing you where the wild things go.

Where the Wild Things Are: Degu, Gumi, and Hutia

Meet the three spirit porcupines of patch 5.2: Degu, Gumi, and Hutia. If you didn't learn how to kite after Deth'tilac and Solix, these three will definitely put you through your paces.

Just remember:

FITE SPIRIT PORCUPINE FITE!

Transcription:

Hey everyone! This is Kalliope, here to introduce you to the three exotic spirit porcupines who are coming in patch 5.2.

All three are neutral level 90 elites and each is a different color: Gumi is blue, Hutia is green, and Degu is the first ever red spirit beast.

Once tamed, the three porcupines are standard spirit beasts with the usual three abilities: spirit beast blessing, a mastery raid buff that scales with the hunter's level; spirit mend, a targetable heal over time that scales with the hunter's ranged attack power; and spirit walk, a stealth ability that grants a 20% damage bonus to the beast's first hit from stealth at the cost of 50% movement speed.

The trio's arrival was foreshadowed back in the Pandaria beta when well-known Blizzard developer Ghostcrawler responded to a post on the forums which asked for porcupines to remain tameable. Along with officially making porcupines a permanent family, he mentioned a spirit porcupine. Hunters weren't sure whether he was joking or not...until now.

The porcupines are the first rare hunter pets in Pandaria to sit out in the open. However, one does not simply walk up to a spirit porcupine and tame it. They may be easier to find than the previous Pandarian rares, but they are still challenge tames.

The triplets have the same basic taming mechanic, but each brings a unique twist that makes their tame different from the other two. Like Deth'tilac in the Molten Front, the spirit porcupines are strong-willed and must be damaged while kited until their health reaches 20% - only then can they be tamed. This time around, however, there are no pet sacrifice shortcuts to getting the beast's health down and serpent sting won't help keep it slowed.

Hutia sits in a circle of blue torches in the Jade Forest, just north of Greenstone Village. Her special ability is Spirit Heal, an interruptable heal that she can cast while moving. Unlike her brothers, Hutia can be rooted and scattershotted, which makes it easier to interrupt her while kiting her. You'll want to stay in range of Hutia to stop her heals, so kite her in circles around her spawn point. However, be careful with glaive toss - there are several neutral porcupines in the area.

Degu patrols between Crane Wing Refuge and Thunder Cleft on the north side of the Krasarang Wilds. He's the only one of the trio to move prior to being engaged. His special ability is barbed quill, a hard-hitting ranged attack that he'll cast on a single target that's too far away from him. Between that and his massive melee hits, the hunter is forced to continuously kite him in his dead zone. Degu doesn't make it easy, though - he stops moving to cast his quill, so be prepared to correct your range often. The cast breaks if the target steps back into Degu's dead zone, just like steady shot used to for hunters who got dead zoned by an opponent. Kiting Degu straight back along his path should keep you in range of him without getting meleed, which is especially important, since Degu's melee hits are stronger than those of his siblings - that means he can one shot you with a lucky crit. There are a couple of stealthed tigers hiding along his path, so be careful before pulling him.

Gumi sits north of One Keg in the Neverest Mountains of Kun-Lai Summit, not too far from the east side of Stompy's path. Gumi doesn't have a visible bonus ability like his siblings, but he does passively move faster than either of them. Between his speed boost and the rocky terrain, aspect of the cheetah is a must in order to kite him without dying. The hardest section is the first part of the kite, which involves going uphill via one of two paths. Once you get past that, the ground mostly levels out and you can just follow the main path. Hunters will likely find themselves halfway across the mountains before Gumi enters the tameable range.

Right now on the PTR, each of the porcupines respawns after about five or six minutes. This could just be for testing purposes, due to the nature of the challenge tames, so be sure to check back for updates.

For the most current information on Degu, Gumi, Hutia, and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

From all over Pandaria, this is Kalliope, showing you where the wild things are.

Where the Wild Things Are: A Preview of the 5.2 Pets

Patch 5.2 brings exciting new tames on three different fronts: the Isle of Giants, the Isle of the Thunder King, and three different spots in Pandaria. This video gives a taste of things to come in upcoming videos, from the new dire horn family to the three spirit porcupines. Stay tuned!


Transcription:

Hey everyone! This is Kalliope, here to give you a sneak peek at what's coming in patch 5.2.

There are two new islands, the Isle of Giants and the Isle of the Thunder King. Both are chock-full of dinosaurs, including the brand new dire horn family, several never-before-seen devilsaur skins, and the skin of a familiar little raptor friend. Oh, and if dinosaurs aren't your thing, there are a couple of shiny dragon turtles too. And that's just the beginning: there are also our first spirit beasts of the expansion - three of them! - each with their own challenging taming mechanic.

That's a whole lot to take in at once, so I'll be breaking everything down into several videos so you too will know where the wild things are. See you soon!

Gorishi Grubs Followup

Disappointingly, but unsurprisingly, the latest build of the 5.2 patch on the PTR has marked the Gorishi grubs as untameable. If you want to tame one, you should hurry and do so before 5.2 hits live servers.

Transcription:

Hey guys, another quick update from Kalliope on the PTR, this time on the Gorishi grubs. As expected, the tamed grubs shrank in the latest build of the 5.2 patch and the wild ones are now no longer tameable. Like the amber parasites, if you want to tame one, do not hesitate to do so immediately. So far, it looks like hunters will get to keep their limited edition grubs, but if that changes, I'll let you know.

Where the Wild Things Are: Anthriss

The first challenge tame of the Molten Front is Anthriss, the gorgeous yellow lava spider. We won't have to travel far to visit one of her brothers next week.


Transcription:

Hey everyone! This is Kalliope, here in the Molten Front to introduce you to one of the rare challenge tame lava spiders - the electric yellow beauty, Anthriss.

Anthriss sits at the bottom of a ramp in the middle of the Molten Front, which makes her easy to spot - when she's there, that is. Anthriss has one of the simplest taming mechanics of all the challenge tames from patch 4.2, which makes seeing her spawned in the first place the real challenge.

Anthriss is level 85 in the wild and acts as a normal spider once tamed. The spider family ability is web, a five second root that can be cast from 30 yards away. This is especially appropriate for Anthriss, as she's the only one of the rare Molten Front spiders who actually webs players in the wild.

Her taming mechanic is simple: she fires searing webs at her victims, which places a  powerful damage over time effect on her target. The damage can be nullified by submerging in a nearby lava pool, which does considerably less damage. Don't use the pool directly in front of her; it's not deep enough to swim in.

At level 90, hunters don't even have to use the lava to tame her, especially if they have the glyph of tame beast, which reduces the cast time to six seconds. Still, it's not wise to underestimate Anthriss. If you don't outlevel her, she still stands a good chance of killing you in a straight tame.

Like her brothers, Anthriss spawns every six to 18 hours.

For the most current information on Anthriss and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

From the lava pools of the Molten Front, this is Kalliope showing you where the wild things are.

Amber Parasites Followup

The first build of the 5.2 patch is now available on the PTR and with it comes the revelation that the amber parasites will no longer be tameable. If you want one, you'd better tame it before 5.2 hits live servers.


Transcription:

Hey guys, quick update from Kalliope on the PTR on the amber parasites. As of the first build of the 5.2 patch, amber parasites are no longer tameable. If you want one of these maggots, you'd better tame one before the patch hits. We don't know when it's coming, but it will be relatively soon, so do NOT wait. Thus far, the Gorishi grubs are still okay, but they haven't had their size normalized yet either. I'll keep you posted on future developments. Stay tuned!

Where the Wild Things Are: Ankha and Magria

We continue our journey toward the Molten Front this week with a visit to Ankha and Magria, the spectral tigers of Mount Hyjal. That wraps up the rares of Mount Hyjal that were released in patch 4.2. Next week, we'll enter the Molten Front, where the other seven challenge tames reside.


Transcription:

Hey everyone! Kalliope here in the Regrowth of Mount Hyjal, here to introduce you to the spirit beasts known as Ankha and Magria.

These two spectral kitties trade places with each other, sharing the same path, level, and special challenging taming mechanic. They are identical in every way except for their color: Ankha is white and Magria is blue.

Both cats are level 85 and have the three spirit beast pet abilities once tamed. Spirit beast blessing is a mastery raid buff that scales with the hunter's level, maxing out at 3000 at level 90. Their exotic ability is spirit mend, a targetable heal over time which scales with the hunter's ranged attack power. Their bonus ability, spirit walk, allows the beast to enter stealth mode with a 50% movement speed penalty, but grants a 20% damage bonus to her first attack from stealth.

If you haven't freed the four ancients in Mount Hyjal yet, then you won't even see the Regrowth on the map. It only replaces the Flamewake after you've completed the quest Aessina's Miracle - and even then, the cats won't be visible until you complete Through the Gates of Hell.

Like their neighbor Ban'thalos and most other spirit beasts, Ankha and Magria are neutral and won't attack until provoked - except for the occasional defenseless critter.

The challenge to taming them is surviving their damage buff, which increases power in relation to the target's armor. If you're wearing even one piece of gear that has armor on it, you'll die before the tame completes, even at level 90.

The solution is simple - remove all your gear that has armor on it. I opt to wear pieces with no armor for style points. You can still wield your weapon, which helps for positioning the cats away from the aggressive mobs moving around the area.

It's a coin flip to see whether it's Ankha or Magria who spawns - there's no pattern. One cat or the other will spawn around every 8 to 12 hours.

For the most current information on Ankha, Magria, and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

Dodging fireballs in Mount Hyjal, this is Kalliope showing you where the wild things are.

Merry Winter Veil, everyone!

Happy holidays, everyone!


Where the Wild Things Are will be back in 2013, so be sure to stick around for the rest of the 4.2 rares. :)

Where the Wild Things Are: Gorishi Grubs

Just three weeks after the discovery of the tameable amber parasites, another unique-skinned worm has come to light: the Gorishi grub. Though these may not have necessarily been intended either, they do have a burrow animation and otherwise seem more "finished" than the amber parasites.

Update 1/11/13: Patch 5.2 will make these untameable, so tame yours before that patch arrives!


Transcription:

Hey everyone! It's only been three weeks since the amber parasites were discovered, but there's already a new giant worm in town: the Gorishi Grub.

These grubs are similar to the parasites in that both are unique appearances for the worm family, and like all silkworms, both inherit the two crocolisk death animations. But that's where the similarities end. The grubs have the new silkworm burrow animation, which the parasites still lack. However, unlike the parasites, who are always present in the Dread Wastes, the grubs are spawned by a rare spawn.

Clutchmother Zavas, a level 54 rare silithid, makes her home in the silithid hive in southern Un'goro Crater. While in combat, she will randomly lay Gorishi eggs, which hatch to spawn Gorishi Grubs. The grubs will die two minutes after they hatch, giving hunters a limited, but decent-sized window in which to tame them.

For hunters looking to tame these as a group, it's easy for one player to hold aggro on Zavas and kite her away from freshly laid eggs. Another hunter can easily grab aggro on the new grub when it hatches, making for an easy tame without any danger of killing the clutchmother. Any eggs and grubs present when Zavas is reset by feigning will remain where they are, which makes it easy for the tanking hunter to tame without risking an accidental kill.

While we don't have an accurate spawn timer for Clutchmother Zavas, our best guess is that it's around four to six hours like other Azerothian rares post-Cataclysm.

At the time of this recording, we don't know whether we'll get to keep these worms as pets either, though the fact that the amber parasites are still here is encouraging.

For the most current information on the Gorishi grubs and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

From Un'goro Crater, this is Kalliope, showing you where the wild things are.

Where the Wild Things Are: Ban'thalos

Our journey back through the Molten Front starts above the Sanctuary of Malorne with Ban'thalos, the loyal green spirit owl. We'll also be taking a quick detour to Darnassus to visit his fellow spirit owl, Dori'thur, as well as taking a look at their origins. Next week, we'll be moving a bit to the northeast to visit the Regrowth.


Transcription:

Hey everyone! I'm here above the Sanctuary of Malorne in Mount Hyjal, hanging out with the shiny green spirit owl Ban'thalos.

This level 85 spirit beast is often the first challenge tame that players encounter upon properly phasing into the zone's daily quest hub. Since he's exotic, hunters need to spec as beast mastery to tame him.

Ban'thalos has the same three tamed abilities as other spirit beast pets. The first, spirit beast blessing, is a mastery raid buff that scales with the hunter's level, maxing out at 3000 at level 90. The second, spirit mend, is a targetable heal over time which scales with the hunter's ranged attack power. The third ability is spirit walk, which allows the beast to enter stealth mode with a 50% movement speed penalty, but grants a 20% damage bonus to his first attack from stealth.

Ban'thalos was the first flying spirit beast introduced to the game and at the time of this recording, is still the only tamable one. Dori'thur, Tyrande Whisperwind's companion, looks exactly like Ban'thalos, but is not flagged as a beast.

Both come from the line of green scout owls introduced in Warcraft III. According to Noah, the developer who came up with the challenge tames, the spirit owls are named for families that had huntresses who fought in the Third War. This is why Dori'thur belongs to a Whisperwind. Ban'thalos means Nightwing, but as the huntresses of that family are gone, he roams freely without a home. As the spirit owls are drawn to places of druidic magic, Ban'thalos flies in a circle high above the Sanctuary of Malorne.

Since he spawns so high up, the trick to taming him is getting him to a safe taming location without you dying or him evading and resetting.

The safest method involves perching on top of an incredibly thin treetop, then pulling Ban'thalos down to it. A freeze trap will protect you from his Harsh Moonlight ability and at the right height, you won't even take any falling damage. The hardest part is actually landing on top of the tree.

The other method is a lot riskier. It involves pulling Ban'thalos and disengaging before hitting the ground. There are lots of ways to die attempting this method, but it can work if you are having trouble with the tree. The engineering cloak enchant or other slow fall effects can help, but the tame can be executed without one.

Ban'thalos spawns around every 8 to 12 hours.

For the most current information on Ban'thalos and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

From the skies of Mount Hyjal, this is Kalliope showing you where the wild things are.

Where the Wild Things Are: An Overview of the 4.2 Challenge Tames

In the first KPoP flashback series, we'll be visiting the Molten Front and all ten of the challenge tames introduced in patch 4.2.


Transcription:

Hey everyone! This is Kalliope, here to give you a quick look back at the ten challenge tames of patch 4.2.

On June 28th, 2011, a daily quest hub was added to Mount Hyjal, connecting into a larger quest hub in the Molten Front. Hunters had the added bonus of being able to tame 10 new beast rares - three spirit beasts, five lava spiders, one cat, and one crab. Between them, there are eight unique taming challenges. Each challenge pushes hunters to figure out the mechanics for each tame, then successfully execute them.

The challenges test different hunter skills, but they all have two things in common: their level - 85 - and their deadly nature. Though the tames can now be overleveled and are therefore a lot safer for the hunter, a few of them will still one-shot the unprepared, while others will require an even lighter touch than before to keep the beast alive.

I'll be showing you all the beasts and their taming mechanics in subsequent videos, each with helpful tips and tricks to taming them.

For even more in-depth information on the Molten Front rares and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

From the front lines of the Molten Front, this is Kalliope, inviting you to stick around and see where the wild things are.

200k views!

With the discovery of the amber parasites, the KPoP YouTube channel passed 200k views! I'm just in awe of how many hunters there are out there who are interested in these discoveries.

Coming up soon, I'll be delving into the first KPoP flashback series. I've been looking forward to spotlighting these particular rares for a long time, since they're the reason I started doing this sort of reporting in the first place.

A video that speaks to the hunter's heart

Balthazar and Frostheim released a song that sums up many hunters' relationships with their pets. It's something that likely applies to anyone who reads this blog, so definitely give it a watch:



Yes, Ursa, Ursa Minor, and I are in there. :) There are a number of Petopians featured as well. If you're like me, recognizing other hunters and their pets just on sight adds an extra layer of depth to the song/video because it's all so true.

Where the Wild Things Are: Amber Parasites

Patch 5.1 revealed a most likely unintended tameable maggot-skinned worm. Whether hunters will get to keep them as pets remains to be seen, as they share a skeleton with silkworms. Stay tuned for updates!

Update 12/2/12: You do NOT need the daily to get the parasites to spawn. Having the daily makes it easier to find the beasts that will spawn parasites, but it's not required.

Update 1/3/13: Patch 5.2 will make these untameable, so tame yours before that patch arrives!

Transcription:

Hey everyone! Kalliope here in the Dread Wastes with a likely unintentional, but still exciting new worm tame.

You'll need three things to do this tame: level 90, a beast mastery spec, and the Klaxxi daily quest "Infected." With this quest, certain beasts in the southeast corner of the Dread Wastes will have a yellow cloud around them. When damaged, these beasts will randomly spawn amber parasites in groups of three, any of which can be tamed.

Your newly tamed worm will have really low health, so either be prepared for him to die to the remaining beasts or take the exhilaration talent to heal him to full immediately after taming.

Don't to get too attached to your new buddy just yet, since at the time of this recording, we don't know whether we'll get to keep them as pets. For the most current information on the amber parasites and other hunter pets, be sure to visit Petopia and the Petopia forums.

Hoping for the best in the Dread Wastes, this is Kalliope, showing you where the wild things are.