Guide: Your early pet roster

[Gráinne-earthen-ring]

For each pet, I mention

• where to get it, whether capture or drop/Auction House
• how to use it and what to use it for, and then
• a more technical description of its most common usage priorities.

I am oversimplifying the options and the rotations of these pets, but I want to keep the guide brief. Just be aware that the usage given here for each species is only the most basic and common one, and there are other ways to slot and use these pets that you will learn over time. When it comes to Breeds, some of these pets may be useful in different ways in different breeds, but I’m recommending the breed you will definitely want to have.

Species	Anubisath Idol (or Void-Scarred Anubisath)
Acquire	The Idol drops from the Twin Emperors in Temple of Ahn'qiraj (AQ40). Void-Scarred Anubisath drops from Ra-den in Ny'alotha. Both will be available at the AH.
Breed	Both Idols come in only one Breed, H/H.
Comment	Both are tanky pets with high health plus the Humanoid racial, which gives 4% HP back after every hit. Sandstorm reduces all damage in a battle, for itself and any pet you want to level, but their attacks punch through the Sandstorm quite well. Use Deflection when you expect an extra-big attack.
Use	Keep Sandstorm up. Use Deflection when you are about to take a big hit. Otherwise, just use your basic attack.
Priorities	1. Deflection only when you expect to take a big hit. 2. Cast Sandstorm when available 3. Crush (or Spiritfire Bolt or Takedown) otherwise.

Species	H/P Blighted Squirrel
Acquire	Blighted Squirrels are easily captured in Silverpine Forest There are many of them around.
Breed	Because the Undead racial guarantees that the opponent can be left with two rounds of Shattered Defenses, Speed is of lesser importance, so go for Health and Power
Comment	Yet Another Bleed & Stampede pet, the Blighted Squirrel brings Crouch and the Undead racial as well, making it more durable than the usual glass cannons
Use	Get the Woodchipper bleed up, reduce damage with Crouch, and Stampede until you drop.
Priorities	1. Woodchipper when it is not already cast. 2. Crouch to reduce damage. 3. Stampede .

Species	S/S Chitterspine Skitterling
Acquire	The Chitterspine Skitterling is an easy pet to find and capture in Nazjatar.
Breed	The 335 speed of the S/S means it will usually have the move advantage, but if you have the time, it's worth picking up a P/S as well, for times when that speed is not needed.
Comment	This is an Aquatic Bleed & Stampede pet, resistant to Undead attacks, so its ideal niche is taking down big Undead bosses.
Use	Set up Black Claw, then Swarm, and Skitter or Pinch twice to take advantage of Shattered Defenses.
Priorities	1. Skitter or Pinch only when the opponent has the Shattered Defenses debuff. 2. Black Claw 3. Swarm

Species	Chrominius
Acquire	Chrominius drops from Chromaggus in Blackwing Lair, and can be bought cheap at the AH.
Breed	Only H/H breed is available.
Comment	You will mostly use Chrominius for its huge nuke, which consists of Howl to deal double-damage, then Surge of Power which is a big hit that will stun you for two rounds. It is ideal for finishing off a big opponent. It can also be used as a Critter-farmer with Ancient Blessing as a heal, and Ravage to kill and heal.
Use	You will probably be killed in that two round stun after Surge of Power, so do as much damage as you can while being sure to end with Howl and then Surge of Power.
Priorities	1. Bite until you have two rounds left to live. 2. Howl 3. Surge of Power

Species	P/P Emerald Proto-Whelp
Acquire	Capture the EPW in a small clearing in Sholazar Basin. There are usually only a few, so it may take some waiting, or more than one visit.
Breed	The best breed is the P/P, especially so its shield and heals provide the maximum protection.
Comment	The EPW is a tanky pet, that will shield and heal itself, and survive a long time with little need for healing between battles.
Use	Keep your shield up as much as possible. Cast the 3-round heal when at about half-health, and use either of its basic attacks otherwise.
Priorities	1. Emerald Presence when it is not up, or has one round left if you are slower. 2. Emerald Dream when health < 800. 3. Breath or Emerald Bite otherwise.

Species	P/P Emperor Crab
Acquire	Capture the Emperor Crab in the Briny Muck south of Dread Wastes, often found as backup to the Rapana Whelks there.
Breed	The best breed is the P/P, especially so its shield and heals provide the maximum protection.
Comment	The Emperor Crab is a tanky pet, that will shield and heal itself, and survive a long time with little need for healing between battles.
Use	Keep your Shield up at all times, and use your Heal when available. Use Surge or Snap otherwise.
Priorities	1. Shell Shield when it is not up, or has one round left if you are slower. 2. Healing Wave or Renewing Mists when it is available and you are not at full health. 3. Surge or Snap otherwise.

Species	Ikky
Acquire	Get it from a short quest series in Talador, or pick one up cheap at the AH.
Breed	Ikky comes in only one Breed, P/S, so you can't go wrong. However, it originally comes as Green quality, so if you get it as Green, you will have to upgrade it to Blue.
Comment	Ikky is an overpowered Bleed & Stampede glass cannon. Use it against something that needs to die fast. Against Boss single-pet targets, often use an Unborn Val'kyr first, then Ikky, then a nuke after Ikky dies.
Use	Apply Black Claw to add damage to each hit, then Flock to deliver 9 hits. If Ikky and the target are still alive, Savage Talon twice to take advantage of Shattered Defenses.
Priorities	1. Savage Talon only when the opponent has the Shattered Defenses debuff. 2. Black Claw when the opponent has no Black Claw debuff. 3. Flock

Species	P/P or H/H Iron Starlette
Acquire	The quest chain in Blasted Lands leading to the Dark Portal, or buy from the Auction House.
Breed	Most breeds work, but the P/P has extra power for the big nuke, while the H/H may live to get a second nuke off.
Comment	The starlette has one job, to deliver that Supercharged Wind-Up, doing massive damage. The P/P has more power, but the H/H may live to deliiver another Supercharged Wind-Up, or at least a second Wind-Up without the Supercharge.
Use	Wind Up, Supercharge, Wind-Up - then figure whether you can live to do it again. You may use Powerball to outspeed your opponent, or Toxic Smoke to leave a DoT.
Priorities	1. Wind-Up when Supercharged. 2. Wind-Up when nou Wound-Up, or when Wound-Up and expecting to die before you can Supercharge again. 3. Supercharge when Wound-Up.

Species	Lil' Bling
Acquire	Lil' Bling has a low chance to drop from Blingtrons, so you will be heading to the AH for it.
Breed	Only S/S breed is available.
Comment	This is a Bleed & Stampede pet, with an option for a Shield to live longer.
Use	Make it Rain to do damage each round, then Inflation to increase that damage. Optionally, use Extra Plating either before or after Make it Rain to live longer.
Priorities	1. Make it Rain if not active. 2. Extra Plating if not up. 3. Inflation

Species	Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling
Acquire	Made by Engineers from Ghost Iron Ore, you will probably find this at the AH.
Breed	Only S/S is available.
Comment	The MPD is notable for its Decoy, which with its 309 Speed and Mechanical racial, can save it from otherwise deadly mechanics. It has a very useful split damage in Thunderbolt, and a decent basic attack in Breath.
Use	Use Decoy either specifically against a big hit, or on cooldown. Use Thunderbolt on cooldown, and Breath otherwise.
Priorities	1. Decoy, or save it for a known danger point. 2, Thunderbolt. 3. Breath.

Species	Nexus Whelpling
Acquire	It spawns only in Coldarra, circling the crater around The Nexus. These are not the easiest pets to find and capture, but they're worth it!
Breed	P/P is ideal for the raw power its blast needs. The Stormborne Whelpling can act as a P/S Nexus Whelpling, and you can probably use that in most cases.
Comment	The Nexus Whelpling lays down a mighty barrage of Magic damage - up to 3000 over 5 rounds.
Use	Arcane Storm, then Mana Surge, then Arcane Storm again for a huge burst of damage over five rounds. if it lives that long.
Priorities	1. Arcane storm. 2. Mana Surge. 3. Whichever of its Basic Attacks you have slotted.

Species	Teroclaw Hatchling
Acquire	Teroclaws are a reward from a short quest line in Spires of Arak, or you can usually buy them on the AH for a few gold.
Breed	Only H/P is available.
Comment	The Teroclaw is a prodigious Critter-farmer with Claw, and Ravage to kill and get the extra heal, while Nature's Ward keeps it tanky. With Dodge and its racial Speed bonus instead, it is used to avoid mechanics and devastating nukes.
Use	Keep Nature's Ward up at all times. Use Ravage when it will kill your target, to get the extra heal. Use either Claw or Alpha Strike as your vasic attack, depending on the target.
Priorities	1. Nature's Ward when it has expired. 2. Ravage when target is in kill range. 3. Claw or Alpha Strike.

Species	Unborn Val'kyr
Acquire	The Valk can ve captured at many spots in Northrend. There are three in Grizzly Hills, and when one is captured, another spawns at one of the three sites, so they are easy to get.
Breed	Both breeds work. The H/H can be used in slightly more battles, but since they are so easy to get, you might as well pick up both.
Comment	The Valk is most used as an amplifier for a Bleed and Stampede pet. Lay down Curse of Doom, then Haunt, and let your Bleed and Stampede pet increase the Haunt's DoT with Shattered Defenses. Then the Curse of Doom explodes while Shattered Defenses is still up.
Use	Curse of Doom, then Haunt.
Priorities	1. Curse of Doom. 2. Haunt. 3. Shadow Slash.