Storm Peaks + Zero Quests = No Pets

[Briqitta]

I've been leveling my warrior in an attempt to avoid "over-doing the expansion burnout".

This has allowed me to pick up a number of Northrend rares as I move through the zones.

I realized yesterday that I hadn't caught any in Storm Peaks, so I took the warrior around the zone.
ALL. Around the zone. Around 6am server time.

Didn't find a single pet to battle.

Went around again at noon. Same thing.

Went around again at 9pm. Wow, three for three.

I DID however see several times briefly on the map that pets were available - but then when I would enter an area of heavy phasing (Thunderfall, Dun Nifelem, etc) they would vanish.

This leads me to the conclusion that, if you are trying to search for battle pets in Storm Peaks (when it is NOT snowing), you will not find anything if you have done zero quests in the zone.

[Rhett]

I had that issue on char that have and haven't done quests in Stormpeaks with a Mountain Skunk just outside Brunnhilder Village. Luckily, the Skunk has a 'generous' path to walk and I just phased in > out until he was walking close towards the village and was able to quickly land and challenge him before he phased again. Was only THIS that got me the Northrend achieve because it hadn't snowed for hours. (And wouldn't for several more after this.)

[Direbane]

It's not happening only to people who've done no quests in the zone.

I routinely fly over the zone on my Druid while hoping for a snow storm so I can catch the fox kit. My Druid has done the entire zone, top-to-bottom, back in the day when that was current content. Even with the zone completed, I too will see pets appear on the minimap and then phase out if I land near them.

This occurs mostly in the region of the "Son's of Hodir" and I'm guessing it's because that entire area has two major phases to it:

1) The Hodir hate you and attack on sight
2) They Hodir don't hate you

I've found that once I get too close to their area it shifts into the "They don't hate me" phase since I'm exalted with them, and unfortunately taking with it any pets that may have spawn in the area. It's just one of the quirks of phasing we'll have to deal with.

If you're quick enough there is a method of engaging these pets before they phase out.

Bind a key to the function "Interact With Target" in the keybinding interface. Make sure you chose a key that you can easily and quickly access while still maneuvering your character. Position yourself in a way that makes it so yo can click on the pet to target it, but not close enough that is phases out. Once you have it targeted quickly swoop down on it and spam that key you bound. If done quickly enough you can initiate the pet battle before the little bugger has time to get away!

I've used this trick countless times with great success, particularly when trying to catch those sneaky Twilight Fiendlings in the Twilight Highlands.

[Quintessence]

I think Storm Peaks is one of those zones that's either completely full of pet or not at all at any given time. The first time I went there, it was completely devoid of any critter. Second time I passed over the Maker's Engine and there were wild pets galore. (I've completed nearly all of the zone, just for reference.)

I don't doubt that phasing is an issue for the area, but at the same time I think luck is a large factor. That and the zone population, since pets seem to spawn more and more often with more players in a zone. (Based on observation so I could be wrong; I haven't heard any official confirmation on this.)

If you're quick enough there is a method of engaging these pets before they phase out.

Bind a key to the function "Interact With Target" in the keybinding interface. Make sure you chose a key that you can easily and quickly access while still maneuvering your character. Position yourself in a way that makes it so yo can click on the pet to target it, but not close enough that is phases out. Once you have it targeted quickly swoop down on it and spam that key you bound. If done quickly enough you can initiate the pet battle before the little bugger has time to get away!

I've used this trick countless times with great success, particularly when trying to catch those sneaky Twilight Fiendlings in the Twilight Highlands.

I've had phasing issues too, with or without having completed the quests in a zone. It's so odd and frustrating because I can't tell if sometimes I need to be further along in the chain or not have done it at all.

Another trick for nelf druids or any class that has an attack that doesn't do damage but causes agro, and an agro dumping ability: Cast Faerie Fire onto the pet, wait until it gets close enough, shadowmeld, wait for the cursor icon to turn back into a paw print, and then engage in battle. This works for pets out of range, in spots that are too uneven to battle, and phased pets.

[Direbane]

Another trick for nelf druids or any class that has an attack that doesn't do damage but causes agro, and an agro dumping ability: Cast Faerie Fire onto the pet, wait until it gets close enough, shadowmeld, wait for the cursor icon to turn back into a paw print, and then engage in battle. This works for pets out of range, in spots that are too uneven to battle, and phased pets.

I'll have to keep that in mind for the toons I have that are capable of dropping combat.

As an aside, thank you for your blog, "Perks and Peeves." Your blog, in conjunction with this website, has proven invaluable to my pet collecting efforts.

[Faela]

Another trick for nelf druids or any class that has an attack that doesn't do damage but causes agro, and an agro dumping ability: Cast Faerie Fire onto the pet, wait until it gets close enough, shadowmeld, wait for the cursor icon to turn back into a paw print, and then engage in battle. This works for pets out of range, in spots that are too uneven to battle, and phased pets.

Oh, what a great trick. I hate those uneven surfaces. Sounds like it should work with taunt and shadowmeld for me.

[Quintessence]

As an aside, thank you for your blog, "Perks and Peeves." Your blog, in conjunction with this website, has proven invaluable to my pet collecting efforts.

I'm glad I could help spread the pet love!

[Briqitta]

I don't doubt that phasing is an issue for the area, but at the same time I think luck is a large factor. That and the zone population, since pets seem to spawn more and more often with more players in a zone. (Based on observation so I could be wrong; I haven't heard any official confirmation on this.)

It makes sense - after TBC debuted, which included dynamic spawn timers, mobs in zones that are heavily populated respawn much more quickly.

Since a lot of the regular mobs in SP actively kill critters as ambiance (all the wolves in the valley between Silfreldar and Dun Niffelem, for example), they may not respawn as quickly so the server won't have to track them.

I did two more runs (one included two characters, one with zero quests and one with 70 done). While I can see battle pets from 15k feet up, if I fly down into a phased area, they vanish.

With the suggestions here, I will need to take my rogue or druid with the aggro/dump idea to try to find battle pets.

[Briqitta]

I ended up logging on yesterday just after the extended maintenance, and was actually able to find a single battle pet on the road between K3 and Bor's Fall.

After making that capture (and getting the achievement) I saw no other pet spawns while flying around for possible rares.

I think I got super lucky.