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Pondering - Pack of forest ostards for non-tamer?

Wulf2k

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
Would a pack of forest ostards be feasible for a non-tamer with somebody/thing else providing tanking?

I'm thinking up things to do with characters that have no applicable skills, and it occurred to me that forest ostards take 0 skill and still have pack instinct. Their base damage isn't as high as a frenzied, but even 60% of the damage output of a frenzied pack should still be very respectable.

Non-tamers with SA should have 4 stable slots, and could ride 1, so they could even bond them all without the hassle of keeping them out all the time.

That aside, any other pets worthwhile attackers for non-tamers? I've heard iron beetles actually aren't bad, but can't find any personal experiences.
 

Cephas [V]

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
I have gone to appreciable efforts to train the swamp dragon and forest ostard for my main character, and the giant beetle on my smith. I've tried to train my carpenter's pack horses and my treasure hunter's pack llamas, without as much success.

Only my smith uses his mount as an attacker: the 4x GM beetle can take out a bronze or verite elemental handily.
 

Wulf2k

Stratics Legend
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
I agree with the giant beetle.

I used to run with one for PvP. If you can disarm and corner somebody, they're quite vicious. It's also handy to have an extra 400ish stone storage available before you start getting fatigued.
 

Venora Rhyse

Adventurer
Stratics Veteran
The Boura's are pretty good as tankers in my experience. The lowland and ruddy boura's take 0 skill to own. I'm a tamer (mid skill level) and used a lowland and 3 deathwatch beetles for doing a Lord Oaks spawn and hardly had to heal the lowland boura even tho I had it attack first as the tanker. The lowland handled the serpentine dragons really good, so I was nicely surprised. Plus they take down silver serpents easy and fast so they hardly get poisoned, and do fast kills with toxic and regular sliths too. So far that's all I've tried with them, but so far I love em with my skill level and like I said those without taming can use them too even. The highland boura is the only one that takes taming skill to own. I haven't tried it yet but I'm sure they can be used as a tank somehow while you train up other pets with them taking the brunt of the damage.

I sell them so here's a bit of info from my profile on the Boura's that take 0 skill so you can get an idea of their slots, hp, and dmg:

Lowland Boura:
Taming/Lore to have 99% Control: 0 Skill
Food: Fruits & Vegetables
Control Slots: 2 Slot
HP: Around 515 HP
Hit Damage: 18-23, 100% Physical damage
Special Attacks: Stun Ability
Ruddy Boura:
Taming/Lore to have 99% Control: 0 Skill
Food: Fruits & Vegetables
Control Slots: 2 Slot
HP: Around 485 HP
Hit Damage: 16-20, 100% Physical damage
Special Attacks: Stun Ability

I've also heard that iron beetles are nice (plus they can mine ores too), but I'm still new to things and haven't been able to explore the Stygian Abyss dungeons to find where they spawn to try them out yet.
 

Wenchkin

Babbling Loonie
Alumni
Stratics Veteran
Stratics Legend
The other obvious non tamer pet is the vollums from those crystals. 2 slots each which gives you the option of a mount at the same time.

Boura are good too, I've not hunted with them much but even freshly tamed they are great little tanks.

My fisher has a giant beetle, the last one she had almost fully trained and it used to tear up deep sea serpents. So they're useful, especially as they can carry loot home with them :)

I've never tried training forest ostards but I did have a friend who trained his to kill ogres and ettins heh. So a fully trained pack would probably kill stuff, it's just a question of having strong support skills and tactics to keep everyone alive. Like discordance or peace etc. You could also try letting spawn target you and then playing tank for your pets.

Wenchy
 

Cephas [V]

Journeyman
Stratics Veteran
Playing tank for my mounts is the only way I train them (outside of a friend's cu sidhe or nightmare on a shadow iron elemental), as I do not have any Veterinary skill.
 
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