Pages

17 September 2013

Beat Master Pet Tamer Nearly Headless Jacob

Nearly Headless Jacob in Crystalsong Forest
Nearly Headless Jacob in Crystalsong Forest

Nearly Headless Jacob would like you to think he's one scary dude, but he's actually a pushover if you bring the right pets. The first time you face him, if you're unprepared, you'll probably wonder what the heck to do with his pets. But it's easy to learn how to beat Northrend pet tamer Nearly Headless Jacob.

Nearly Headless Jacob's Pets:

  • Mort (undead)
  • Spooky Strangler (undead)
  • Stitch (undead)

The best team to beat Nearly Headless Jacob is a team full of turtles, frogs, or Aquatics. Any turtle that has a Critter attack (since Critters hit Undead pets hard!) is great. Aquatics also have heals, which can be very helpful in a pinch. 

My regular setup for beating Nearly Headless Jacob includes:



You don't even need to have full level 25 Aquatics to beat Nearly Headless Jacob. If you're interested in leveling up some pets that might be around level 20 to level 22, consider bringing a pet that can change the weather since Jacob's pets will use "Call Darkness," which reduces healing.

Jacob is a great pet tamer to do on a daily basis since he sits right underneath Dalaran in Crystalsong Forest. This means if you're sitting in your faction's major capital city in Pandaria, you can port right to Dalaran and jump off the island for a quick pet battle and some daily gold.

16 September 2013

The Longest Day Complete Warcraft Achievement Guide


Battle Pet achievement "The Longest Day" doesn't need to feel like the longest day! With some planning and a good route mapped out, it's possible to zoom through this entire achievement without devoting an entire day to the activity. Although fans of Warcraft Battle Pets might not mind spending all day beating various pet tamers, anyone else who just wants those juicy 10 achievement points will definitely want to take advantage of a pre-planned route.

Note that Alliance and Horde may have different routes! My route is from a Horde perspective. There are a few differences between the Horde version of this achievement and the Alliance version.

Although Kalimdor belongs to Horde and Eastern Kingdoms belongs to Alliance, the final tamers on each continent are required for both factions. This means Alliance players need to visit Stone Cold Trixxy in Winterspring and Horde players need to visit Lydia Accoste outside of Karazhan.

In addition, this distinction does not cover the Cataclysm-era zones. Every player needs to visit Uldum on Kalimdor as well as Twilight Highlands on Eastern Kingdoms to beat those tamers. Confused? Don't be. Just remember that you don't have to do the low-level pet tamers on the opposite faction's continent.

This guide is created with a few assumptions in mind (and if you're used to going all over Azeroth to beat pet tamers, this might describe you):


  • You're not a mage (because ports are cheating!)
  • You're not an engineer (because Engineers are cheaters, too!)
  • You have a teleportation ring from Dalaran (great investment for achievements!)
  • You have a 15 minute hearthstone cooldown (just join a guild for this)
  • You log in at your faction's city capital (it's easiest to start in Pandaria)
  • You are level 90 (let's face it, it's easier being 90!)
  • You have 1 Potion of Deepholm (easy to get from the AH!)
  • You have Cloak of Coordination (You only need to use it once, so the base version will do!)
  • You have the Black Temple teleport necklace (not mandatory, but useful)

Clearly, the fastest way to do these is to be an Engineering Mage! But not all of us decided to pick that dirty class, so we'll have to get around the old fashioned way. Through wit, ingenuity, and in-game toys!

Without further ado, here's your DAMN THAT WAS FAST! strategy for completing "The Longest Day" achievement!

(if you'd like a list of the best order in which to do these pets without all the pictures and commentary, just scroll to the bottom!)

From your faction's capital, pick up your Pandaria pet dailies! No reason to do the longest day without getting gold and fun sacks of pet goodies, right?



Head into the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and fight Grand Master Nishi. Remember that she's in a different spot since the Vale was destroyed in 5.4! She's a great tamer on which to level up one of your sub-25 pets!



Head to the south side of the Gate of the Setting Sun to fight "No-No," who is part of "Beasts of Fable Book III" No-No is almost due-West of Grand Master Nishi.



Then fly northwest into Townlong Steppes to meet up with Ti'Un the Wanderer, who is also part of the "Beasts of Fable Book III" quest.



Fly northward into Kun-Lai summit for a meeting with Courageous Yon. With the right pets, Yon is another terrific tamer on which to level-up a low pet. Make sure you use your Emerald Proto-Whelp!



Next you'll want to fly further north and fight Kafi, the irritable mountain goat. He hits hard so you'll have to beat him with some lucky crits of your own!



Then fly West into Townlong Steppes to face the Burning Pandaren Spirit at the northern end of the zone. Remember to bring out your Shimmershell Snail for this fight!



Head further west to the island on which Nuizao Temple sits to fight Seeker Zusshi. He's yet another example of a great leveling tamer.



Fly south into the Dread Wastes to meet your next fight: Wastewalker Shu, who sits right outside the Klaxxi quest hub of Klaxxi-vess. Make sure you use your Shimmershell Snail for this fight!



After walloping Wastewalker Shu, fly to the southwest and defeat Gorespine, which is one of the battles required for the "Beasts of Fable Book III" quest.




The final battle in the Dread Wastes will be against the Flowing Pandaren Spirit. You'll want to fly southeast to the very bottom of the zone where the Flowing Pandaren Spirit awaits your challenge.



Keep traveling east and head into Krasarang Wilds where your next battle will be with Mo'ruk (yes, go all the way across the zone toward Angler's Warf to meet him)



For your next battle, fly northwest in Karasrang to face Skitterer Xi'a. Get your flyers ready to fight this easy Aquatic.



After giving Skitterer Xi'a a what-for, fly northwest just a short distance into the Valley of the Four Winds to fight the tiny mushan, Greyhoof.



Next, fly northward into the "Heartland" where you'll want to fight Lucky Yi, who is part of the "Beasts of Fable Book II" quest. Make sure you use your Kun-Lai runt to solo him! (no joke here)



After showing Lucky Yi that he really isn't that lucky, head east to visit Farmer Nishi, the best leveling tamer in the game!



Next, fly far east into The Jade Forest to fight against Ka'Wi the Gorger, who is part of the "Beasts of Fable Book I" quest. Bring your Beasts along to fight this pet.



Your next opponent will be Hyuna of the Shrines, and she's almost directly north from Ka'Wi. She's an easy fight when you bring a Bat.



After beating Hyuna, your next opponent will be found to the northeast. Nitun the raccoon is part of the "Beasts of Fable Book I" quest.



The next opponent during your journey will be the Whispering Pandaren Spirit, and you'll need to fly a short distance west to a pillar to fight him (or... her?)



Next, it's time to fly northwest to meet up with Dos-Ryga, the final pet you'll face this day for the "Beasts of Fable" series.



Your final battle in Pandaria will be against the Thundering Pandaren Spirit, located on the border between Kun-Lai Summit and the Vale of Eternal Blossoms.



After you defeat the Thundering Spirit, return to your city's capital and turn in all of the "Beasts of Fable" quests. YOU MUST turn in these quests so that they are credited for the achievement. You can't simply beat the pets. You'll also want to turn in the Fabled quests because you have a chance at getting pets in the reward sacks!



To continue your journey, you'll want to port to orgrimmar (remember, this is a Horde based guide!). When you arrive, fly up to Varzok and pick up your daily quest for all the tamers on Kalimdor (Battle Pet Tamers: Kalimdor).



After picking up your quest, fly to the Cataclysm ports above The Drag and take the port to Uldum. Upon arrival in Uldum, you'll want to fly southward to fight your first Kalimdor opponent: Grand Master Obalis.



Next, hop on a flight point and get over to Dustwallow Marsh where you'll fight against Grazzle the Great outside of Onyxia's Lair. (you can also auto-fly in that general direction)



Then it's just a short hop across the border to Kela Grimotem, who stands on one of the mesa pillars in Thousand Needles.



Once you've finished off Kela's pets, you'll want to head just north to the Southern Barrens to fight against Cassandra Kaboom.



After kabooming Kaboom, hop on your flying mount once again and head west to Feralas, where you'll fight against Traitor Gluk.



After showing Traitor Gluk who's boss, you'll fly north into Desolace where you'll fight against Merda Stronghoof.



Your next opponent will be in Stonetalon Mountains where you'll fight against Zonya the Sadist.



After beating Zonya, you'll fly east to Northern Barrens where you'll fight against Dagra the Fierce.



Once you've shown Dagra the Fierce that you're definitely Fiercer, you'll fly just a short distance northeast to Durotar, where you'll fight Zunta, the Aspiring Pet Tamer.



Your next stop is on the other side of the continent. It might be most convenient to hop on a flight point toward the coast of Ashenvale, where you'll meet up against Analynn.



Once you've bested Analynn, fly a short distance northeast into Felwood where you'll fight Zoltan.



After showing Zoltan that the world is not actually going to end, you'll fly further north still into Moonglade, where you'll fight Elena Flutterfly.



You'll want to then fly southeast into Winterspring to take care of Stone Cold Trixxy and her band of pets.



Then it's just a short hop southwest over the border into Hyjal, where you'll face Cataclysm-era pet tamer Brok.



Now that you've completed all of Kalimdor (required for Horde, remember), you'll have two options. Take a flight path down to Orgrimmar or use your Cloak of Coordination to instantly port there.

After you arrive in Orgrimmar, fly upstairs to the portals and head through the Twilight Highlands portal. Once you're there, fly out to fight Goz Banefury, who sits on the edge of one of the fissures in the zone (just south of Bloodgulch).



After you beat Goz, head back to Orgrimmar through the same Twilight Highlands portal and then head down into the Cleft of Shadow to take the portal to the Blasted Lands.



Once you arrive in the Blasted Lands, you'll need to mount up and head over to Deadwind Pass and fight the only other tamer required of Horde on Eastern Kingdoms: Lydia Accoste, who stands outside Karazhan.



After you've beaten Lydia, mount back up and return to the Blasted Lands where it's time to head through the Dark Portal and start beating the tamers in Outlands.



Once you're through the portal, you'll fly straight out into Hellfire Peninsula, where you'll begin fighting Outland tamers. Your first tamer to face will be Nicki Tinytech and she's straight out from the Dark Portal along the "Path of Glory."



You have a few choices for making the rounds in Outland, although if you've got a Blessed Medallion of Karabor, you can port directly to the gates of the Black Temple in Shadowmoon Valley, which puts you quite close to Grand Master Antari.



If you don't have this neck, you'll just have to take the long way round! Just fly over the empty space into Shadowmoon Valley on auto-fly to meet up with Grand Master Antari.




After beating Grand Master Antari, you'll want to head over to Shattrath where you'll fight Morulu the Elder.



Once you've had your way with Morulu, you'll want to fly over the border, westard, into Nagrand to fight against Narrok.



Once you've made mince-meat of Narrok's herd of pets, fly into Zangermarsh and pick a fight with Ras'an, the final pet tamer of Outlands. This is a great time to see if there are any Sporeling Sprouts around, if you haven't already caught one of these rare pets.



Now it's time to head to Dalaran. This is where you use your Kirin Tor ring to teleport to Dalaran. If you're a dirty mage, you're already there, aren't you? Cheater!

When you arrive in Dalaran, you're in the home stretch! All that remains are 5 battles in Northrend, plus one in Deepholm!

(alternatively, you can hearth to your faction's major Pandaria city and port to Dalaran)

To begin your battles in Northrend, you'll want to take a taxi to the Argent Tournmant Grounds in Ice Crown so that you can face Grand Master Payne. He's one of the harder tamers, but he's certainly not impossible once you get the right pet setup.



Northrend is fairly spread out, so you have a few choices for your route. I'd suggest heading back down to Crystalsong Forest to take out Nearly Headless Jacob. Yes, he's nearly missing his head, but that doesn't mean you should give him any leeway!



Next you'll want to fly east just a short amount into Zul'drak, where you'll face the Northrend Pushover, Gutretch. He's so easy you can probably take just about any pet team and beat him!



After letting Gutretch know that he needs to practice a little more with his strategy, you'll want to head south into Dragonblight to face Okrut Dragonwaste. He's not so much of a pushover and does require a little more strategy than a battle against Gutretch.



After beating Okrut, you'll need to fly east into Howling Fjord and meet up with Beegle Blastfuse. Once you beat Beegle, you've only got one job left to do!



Go find your Potion of Deepholm in your backpack and take a swig. When you arrive in Deepholm, your last battle will be against Bordin Steadyfist.



Once you've beaten Mr Steadyfist, congratulations on your achievement!



Here's the list in order without all the pictures and commentary:
  1. Nishi (Vale of Eternal Blossoms)
  2. No-No (Vale of Eternal Blossoms)
  3. Ti'Un the Wanderer (Townlong Steppes)
  4. Courageous Yon (Kun-Lai Summit)
  5. Kafi (Kun-Lai Summit)
  6. Burning Pandaren Spirit (Townlong Steppes)
  7. Seeker Zusshi (Townlong Steppes)
  8. Wastewalker Shu (Dread Wastes)
  9. Gorespine (Dread Wastes)
  10. Flowing Pandaren Spirit (Dread Wastes)
  11. Mo'Ruk (Karasrang Wilds)
  12. Skitterer Xi'a (Karasarang Wilds)
  13. Greyhoof (Valley of the Four Winds)
  14. Lucky Yi (Valley of the Four Winds)
  15. Farmer Nishi (Valley of the Four Winds)
  16. Ka'wi the Gorger (The Jade Forest)
  17. Hyuna of the Shrines (The Jade Forest)
  18. Nitun (The Jade Forest)
  19. Whispering Pandaren Spirit (The Jade Forest)
  20. Dos-Ryga (Kun-Lai Summit)
  21. Thundering Pandaren Spirit (Kun-Lai Summit)
  22. Grand Master Obalis (Uldum)
  23. Grazzle the Great (Dustwallow Marsh)
  24. Kela Grimtotem (Thousand Needles)
  25. Cassandra Kaboom (Southern Barrens)
  26. Traitor Gluk (Feralas)
  27. Merda Stronghoof (Desolace)
  28. Zonya the Sadist (Stonetalon Mountains)
  29. Dagra the Fierce (Northern Barrens)
  30. Zunta (Durotar)
  31. Analynn (Ashenvale)
  32. Zoltan (Felwood)
  33. Elena Flutterfly (Moonglade)
  34. Stone Cold Trixxy (Winterspring)
  35. Brok (Hyjal)
  36. Goz Banefury (Twilight Highlands)
  37. Lydia Accoste (Deadwind Pass)
  38. Nicki Tinytech (Hellfire Peninsula)
  39. Grand Master Antari (Shadowmoon Valley)
  40. Morulu the Elder (Shattrath)
  41. Narrok (Nagrand)
  42. Ras'an (Zangermarsh)
  43. Grand Master Payne (Ice Crown)
  44. Nearly Headless Jacob (Crystalsong Forest)
  45. Gutretch (Zul'drak)
  46. Okrut Dragonwaste (Dragonblight)
  47. Beegle Blastfuse (Howling Fjord)
  48. Bordin Steadyfist (Deepholm)

Tamers that Horde players DO NOT need for this achievement include:
  • Burning Steppes: Durin Darkhammer
  • Cape of Stranglethorn: Bill Buckler
  • Duskwood: Eric Davidson
  • Eastern Plaguelands: Deiza Plaguehorn
  • Elwynn Forest: Julia Stevens
  • Hinterlands: David Kosse
  • Northern Stranglethorn: Steven Lisbane
  • Redridge Mountains: Lindsay
  • Searing Gorge: Kortas Darkhammer
  • Swamp of Sorrows: Everessa
  • Westfall: Old MacDonald

There are definitely a few other ways to complete this achievement, and there are also a few in-game trinkets that I don't have, which might mean a different route would be more advantageous. This particular route is simply here to help you if you're not otherwise inclined to make your own!