Can't Decide Between BM and SVFollow

BM also has a lot of survivability, especially in solo. FD isn't your only option, you have AotC (you can run) and if your pet dies too much in BM you are probably doing something wrong. Also, unless you're fighting mainly mobs 3+ levels above you, FD shouldn't get resisted much.

Survivability is considered the hardest spec to solo grind with. Why? Your pet gets very little extra output from you (lower AP means lower pet DPS and lower growls) so it's easier to pull threat, especially with the insane crit chance survival gets. So while yes you can do insane crowd control and have more health, you're going to be putting forth a lot of extra effort to make sure you survive, whereas it's so much easier in BM. Remember, for grinding if you gear yourself for SV but spec BM (meaning choosing agility over AP) you wont gimp yourself too bad, and you just have a few gold to pay for a respec at 70. 0/21/40 may have a lot of survivability, but it also forces you to use all those extra abilities.

BM on the other hand makes it so your pet holds insane aggro, while both of you do good damage, and your pet has a lot more survivability (in a solo BM build, probably 10% extra health and 9% extra dodge, and almost definitely a lot more armor). Not to mention imp mend pet is one of the best talents for soloing in the game.

So in comparison:
BM makes your pet a much better tank and is less gear dependent, also has the potential for highest DPS in the game
SV gives you a lot more CC viability and bumps your DPS in raids by a lot. It also makes you less dependent on your pet (while still needing it in solo).

So I'd recommend BM for solo, grouping/raiding, or PvP, and SV for 5-mans, raids (if there's no other SV hunters in the raid), and PvP.

BM pets can die in solo content? o.0 I soloed Tethis at 35, though I have to admit that Gift of the Naaru helps a lot. If your pet dies as a BM, just trap and use those points in improved revive pet. ;) Either that or kite.

Imp Mend (REVIVE! Stupid brain.. Thanks Lorimath) Pet isn't really worth it. The only times my pet dies is when I have him holding on to so many enemies that when he dies my only option is to FD or run.

Still, it is nice to have him back in 4 seconds instead of 10.

+20% armor, +10% health, +9% dodge, +4% hit, +20% attack speed, +10% crit, +30% more attack speed on a crit, +20% damage all the time, +3% more damage after a crit... I'm not even done yet.

He does about 45% of the damage when I'm solo, and although he takes 90+% of the damage, he is far less likely to die. SV gets no pet buffs aside from AP and stam. I couldn't deal with that. You're a much braver person than I to take SV up that far.

Edited because I can't type

Edited, Dec 2nd 2007 10:44pm by Ehcks

I think you meant to say Imp Revive Pet, not Mend Pet. I love Imp Mend Pet. Revive Pet is nice indeed to have the Improved talent, but I just don't consider it to be all that important.