Pet battles are turn-based, meaning each combatant is allowed one action each turn. Click on the icon, or press the corresponding button on your keyboard to command your pet. The battle ends when the pets on one side or the other exhaust their health, or (if you’re facing another trainer) when someone Forfeits the match.
To learn more about the various abilities available to your battle pets, mouse over an ability’s icon until its description appears.
Regardless of the opponent you’re facing, you have the same choices on each of your turns. Keep in mind that some abilities include a cooldown. When you use one of these abilities, a number appears over the icon to indicate how many rounds must pass before the ability is ready to use again. There are also certain abilities that block some of your options for a limited number of rounds. For example, many spiders use Sticky Web to keep you from switching pets for a few rounds.
Types of Pet Battles
There are three types of Pet Battles.
PVP Battles are fought anonymously against other players. Use the Find Battle button on your Pet Journal window to find opponents.
Pet Duels are initiated with a click on another player’s portrait. Select Pet Duel and wait for the other person to accept.
Wild Pet Battles are fought against wild pets. Locate a wild pet with the green paw icon floating over it and right-click it to start the fight.
You are immune to NPC damage while engaged in a pet battle, but if you’re flagged for PvP, you are vulnerable to other players. Be careful where you choose to battle!
Weather Conditions
|
Condition |
Description |
Ability (Family) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raining | During a cleansing rain, the duration of hostile damage over time effects is reduced by 1 round and Aquatic pets deal 25% more damage. | Cleansing Rain (Aquatic) |  |
| Sunny Day | During a sunny day, the maximum health of all pets is increased by 50% and healing done is increased by 25%. | Sunlight (Elemental) |  |
| Scorched Earth | Deals Dragonkin damage to the front pet of both teams each round. All pets count as Burning. | Scorched Earth (Dragonkin) |  |
| Arcane Winds | During Arcane Winds, pets cannot be stunned or rooted. | Arcane Storm (Magic) |  |
| Moonlight | During Moonlight, all pets receive 25% additional healing and Magic abilities deal 10% additional damage. | Moonfire (Magic) | |
| Blizzard | During a Blizzard, all pets are considered Chilled. | Call Blizzard (Elemental) | |
| Darkness | During Darkness, all pets are considered Blinded and all healing received is reduced by 50%. | Call Darkness (Humanoid) |  |
| Lightning Storm | During a Lightning Storm, all pets deal bonus Mechanical damage on each attack and Mechanical abilities deal 25% additional damage. | Call Lightning (Mechanical) |  |
| Sandstorm | During a sandstorm, all pets take less damage and their accuracy is reduced by 10%. | Sandstorm (Flying) |  |
| Muddy | Muddy weather prevents any pet on the battlefield from swapping out for 3 rounds. | Mudslide (Critter) |  |
PvP Pet Battles
When you click on the Find Battle button on your Pet Journal, you are randomly matched against other players. The game does not track your losses, only the number of times you’ve won. There are no rewards for PvP Pet Battles, other than earning Achievements.
Pet Duels
Pet Duels function basically the same as regular duels. Approach another character, right-click their portrait, and invite them to a Pet Duel. Pet Duels follow the same rules as regular duels, meaning you can’t duel inside a city or designated sanctuary. If your PvP flag is turned on, then Pet Duels against characters of the opposite faction is not an option. You must use an area such as the sewers under Dalaran if you want to Pet Duel when characters are flagged for PvP. There are no rewards for Pet Duels, other than earning Achievements.
Pet Battles Against NPC Trainers
There are NPC pet trainers found in many locations on every world. A line of quests sends you to battle them, and you must work your way through these trainers in order to unlock the daily quests listed in your Achievements under the Pet Battles tab.
Pet Battles Against Wild Pets
Until you’re overloaded with level 25 pets, the bulk of your Pet Battles will take place against wild pets. There are wild pets throughout Azeroth and Draenor, with most zones having at least one that appears nowhere else. These are the battles where your pets gain most of their experience points, and the means by which you add to the population of your Pet Journal.
Pets in the wild can be any level from 1 to 25 and they maintain a majority of their levels when you capture them. For example, a pet caught at level 24 can be weakened to level 22 by capture. Once they’re yours, they gain experience in the same way as any other pet you own. If you want to go after higher level wild pets, you must look in increasingly higher level zones.
Acquiring New Pets
- Wild pets are numerous, and make up a large portion of your Pet Journal. However, there are other ways to acquire pets, such as:
- Purchasing from vendors with in-game currency
- Completing Achievements
- During World Events
- Purchasing from the Blizzard Store
- Redeeming codes found in the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game
- Crafted with professions
- Completion of quests
World Drops (includes Dungeons and Raids)