HOME Mists of Pandaria Classic Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

In this Pet guide in Mists of Pandaria Classic, we will cover the basics of pet collection, the best pets to look out for, and how to expand your roster effectively! Pets in MoP Classic are collectible creatures that follow your character and can be summoned at any time, but can’t assist you in fights. They can, however, fight each other! While many players enjoy them purely for collecting, others use them in the Pet Battles introduced in this expansion. Let’s take a look at how to collect and battle pets, as well as the best pets to obtain in MoP Classic.

Pandaria Classic Daily Quests
Complete your daily pet battle quests to level up your team!
Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic 4.9

What Are Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Pet Battles are a turn-based mini-game in MoP Classic that lets players collect, level, and battle various pets. Mists of Pandaria Classic is the first Classic expansion with this system.

You can build a team of up to three pets to battle against other pets, NPCs, or other players. From fighting, your pets will gain experience, level up, and unlock new abilities. The mechanics are simple, but also allow for deeper strategy through selecting the correct pet types, abilities, and counters.

In this guide, we will cover how the system works, how to get started, how to level and train your pets, and which pets are considered the best during MoP Classic.

How to Start Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

To begin battling pets in MoP Classic, you’ll need to unlock the system. Visit a Pet Battle Trainer in any capital city to get started. They’ll teach you the skill and provide a basic questline to familiarize you with the mechanics.

Steps to start Pet Battles:

  1. Visit a Pet Battle Trainer. You can find one in the capital city of each faction.
  2. Complete the introductory quests.
  3. Start catching and leveling pets by fighting wild pets in beginner zones.

Mists of Pandaria Classic How to Collect Pets

Once you’ve unlocked pet battles, you will want to start building your pet collection. Capture wild pets from different zones to make sure your pets have different types and abilities.

The quality of your pets also matters. Pets can be Common, Uncommon, or Rare. Rarer pets generally have better stats.

The best pets are available in Pandaria, which means that you will have to hit level 90 before obtaining them. If you want to jump straight into pet battles without the level grind, our Character Leveling services at Overgear are exactly what you are looking for.

Pet Leveling in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

The main way to level pets in MoP Classic is through battling wild pets and NPC pet trainers. Each pet gains experience when it participates in a battle. Higher-level wild pets give more experience, and some daily trainer battles give large XP boosts.

Here we have prepared a few tips that will help you level up your MoP Classic pets more quickly:

  • Start battles with a low-level pet, then swap to a stronger one to finish the fight.
  • Fight high-level wild pets in zones like Vale of Eternal Blossoms or Townlong Steppes.
  • Do the Pandaria daily trainer quests for high XP and rewards.
  • Use pet treats and Safari Hat to boost XP gains.
  • Capture and train rare-quality pets whenever possible for the best stat progression.

There are pet battle trainers scattered across Pandaria, each with a team of level 25 pets.

Pet Battle Trainers provide daily quests and are really important for leveling your pets, so make sure to do those quests every day.

Want to get the best MoP pet team but don’t have time to level them up on your own? Check out our Pet Leveling services for a solution!

How Pet Battles Work in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Now that you know the basics of pet collection in MoP Classic, you can start battling! Pet Battles are turn-based, similar to classic RPGs. Each round, you can select one ability from your pet’s available skills. Most pets have six abilities total, with only three usable during the fight. Each ability has a different cooldown, type, and effect.

Use the Revive Battle Pets spell to heal all your pets every 8 minutes. Between uses, you can also heal and revive your pets using items like Bandages.

Mists of Pandaria Classic Pet Battle Rules

There are several MoP Classic Pet Battle Rules you should know:

  • You can have three pets in your team.
  • Each pet has one of ten possible types: Beast, Critter, Dragonkin, Elemental, Flying, Humanoid, Magic, Mechanical, Undead, and Aquatic.
  • Pet types have strengths and weaknesses against other types. For example, Aquatic pets take 33% less damage from elemental abilities but deal an extra 50% damage to undead.
  • Pets can be collected from vendors, quests, drops, achievements, or captured from the wild.
  • Wild pets appear in various zones and can be fought and captured using the pet battle system.
  • Pets gain experience from battles and level up to a maximum of level 25.

Pet Stats and Breeds in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Every battle pet in Mists of Pandaria Classic has three stats: Health, Attack, and Speed. You can view these stats by opening the Pet Journal. Here is what each stat determines during a pet battle:

StatExplanation
HealthThis stat determines how many hitpoints your pet has before it is knocked out
AttackThis stat determines  how much damage your pet’s abilities deal
SpeedThis stat decides which pet acts first each round. The pet with the higher speed goes first

In addition to basic stats, every battle pet has a breed, which determines how those stats are distributed. Breeds are hidden values that determine whether a pet leans more toward speed, power, health, or a balance of those stats. Some pets are only available in one breed, while others can come in several.

Breed information is not available in the default UI, so to view a pet’s breed, you’ll need an addon.

Mists of Pandaria Classic Pet Families

In Mists of Pandaria Classic, each battle pet belongs to one of ten family types. Each type has strengths and weaknesses against other types, which affect the damage dealt and taken during pet battles. Here we have prepared a list of all pet families, as well as their weaknesses and strengths:

TypeStrong AgainstWeak Against
FlyingAquaticDragonkin
AquaticElementalMagic
BeastCritterFlying
CritterUndeadHumanoid
HumanoidDragonkinBeast
DragonkinMagicUndead
ElementalMechanicalCritter
MechanicalBeastElemental
UndeadHumanoidAquatic

With this chart, you can build your MoP Classic pet battle team optimized specifically against your opponents!

Best Pets in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic

Now that you know how to level and battle your pets, you might be wondering what the best pets are in MoP Classic. Here we have prepared a list of pets that you should aim to get first if you plan on taking pet battles seriously.

The best pets in MoP Classic are:

PetWhere to obtain
Anubisath IdolDrops from Emperor Vek’lor in Ahn’Qiraj
Unborn Val’kyrCan be found in Northrend
Nexus WhelplingCan be found in Coldarra
Emerald Proto-WhelpCan be found in the Savage Thicket in Sholazar Basin
Flayer YounglingCan be found in Hellfire Peninsula
Pandaren Water SpiritReward for completing the Pandaren Spirit Tamer quest chain
Pandaria Classic Jewelcrafting
Get an opportunity to make unique pets with maxed out Jewelcrafting!
Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic 4.9

Pet Battles in Mists of Pandaria Classic are a great side activity. They offer fun gameplay, collectibles, and even some long-term goals. Hopefully, this MoP Pet Guide helped you to build a diverse roster and learn type matchups. MoP Classic brings back the pet battles to the Classic version of WoW, and there’s never been a better time to start collecting and battling!

Changelog

01 Jul. 2025 Guide added.

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