What a fantastic guide. Actually, I’m starting a Guardian alt BECAUSE of this guide (I main an 80 Ranger). You’ve organized and written everything perfectly. It’s engaging and easy to follow, AND encouraging!
Any chance you’ll get around to doing other class guides (perhaps Ranger next? Pretty please? Bahah)?
LOL well from last I checked, river drake’s breath range was 600, marsh drake was 900, and the rest were 250. That’s what made me fond of the marsh drake for a bit.
Wow interesting, so ice drake seems pretty popular! I know I used the marsh drake in my mid levels as an initiator thanks to his 900 range chain ability. I’ll have to give these other drakes more of a serious try.
@Durzlla: LOL I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make fun of your precious.
I was genuinely saddened when I wasn’t allowed to name my river drake “Dopey” (it’s inappropriate apparently?)
I’d like to see “Dire” versions of all pets. Whether it just be visual upgrades or actual stat and ability differences, the dire versions of pets could look at least bigger and meaner than normal pets. They could be hard-to-get-to pets (juveniles are only in certain parts of dungeons, or in areas you have to unlock via dynamic events).
Hell, or even make it a mini personal quest that lets you upgrade a single pet to “Dire” status. Just a random idea I’ve had in my head.
Alrighty, so I’m a level 80 ranger with 30 in beastmastery. I almost always have a Lynx in my pet rotation. But when I’m in low to mid scale events, I’m enjoying drakes more and more (probably because maxing beast tree makes them that much better/more durable). Personally I find that their multi-target auto-attacks are fantastic for tagging and damaging multiple mobs at once, and their special tail whip ability is fun in combo fields.
But what drake would be most efficient in general?
I’ve always used the River drake because of the absurd amount of damage from his lightning breath. However, most of the time I can’t get him to use it to full effect. Three out of 5 times something will just cause him to halt mid through the cast. It also doesn’t help that the river drake LOOKS pretty dopey (whatever you do, do NOT send him off to attack something in the distance and call him back. His quick-running animation made me laugh too hard. I think they’re more frog than drake).
So which drakes, if not river, would be most efficient in general PvE play? Marsh drake’s ability has a nice 900 range and seems to me much more successful in using it to full effect. Fire drake does more initial damage plus burning (but it’s a cone effect, not a chain effect.) Unfortunately I don’t see an effective use for the ice drake’s breath ability in PvE, which is a shame because I think he’s the most interesting visually.
I’d at least like SOME kind of visual representation of maturity/experience on our pets as we level up or as they are actually actively used. They seem very generic and not personal. I don’t feel attached to my pet at all, I just see them as fodder almost.
There’s already a dolphin model in-game. I forget where it is, but it was floating at the entrance to a Whispers hideout as an allied NPC.