In Mists of Pandaria Classic, pet battles are a minor activity, but a crucial aspect if you want to achieve certain goals like earning achievements, daily rewards from tamers, or getting ready for the Celestial Tournament. Some pets can dominate battles on their own, while others are more specialized for specific types of fights. This guide categorizes the best battle pets in MoP into a tier list based on their overall strength, flexibility, and usefulness in various situations.
MoP Classic Best Battle Pets Tier List
| Tier | Pets |
| S-Tier | Anubisath Idol, Emerald Proto-Whelp, Nexus Whelpling, Unborn Val’kyr, Chrominius, Pandaren Water Spirit, Flayer Youngling, Rabbits (S/S breed) |
| A-Tier | Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling, Gilnean Raven, Crow, Nether Faerie Dragon, Oozelings, Frogs, Moths, Blighthawk, Lil’ Bling, Kun-Lai Runt, Magical Crawdad, Fel Flame, Arfus |
| B-Tier | Snails, Water Striders, Feline Familiar, Pterrordax Hatchling, Tiny Snowman, Winter Helpers |
| C-Tier | Chickens, Foxes, Spiders, Cats, Beetles/Roaches |
Battle Pets S-Tier
- Anubisath Idol: Tanky humanoid with Sandstorm and Deflection. It stalls and outlasts, perfect for tough tamers.
- Emerald Proto-Whelp: The ultimate sustain dragonkin. Presence + Dream keeps it alive forever.
- Nexus Whelpling: Dragonkin nuker. Arcane Storm + Mana Surge deletes pets outright.
- Unborn Val’kyr: Rare Northrend spawn. Haunt + Doom setups are unmatched for boss pets.
- Chrominius: Key to the infamous “Howl Bomb” combo with Water Spirit. Massive burst.
- Pandaren Water Spirit: Whirlpool + Geyser opener that chains into Howl Bomb or other burst setups.
- Flayer Youngling: Fast, disruptive, with Kick + Deflection. Counters many dangerous pets.
- Rabbits (S/S breed): Dodge + Burrow makes them nearly untouchable in PvP and tricky PvE fights.
Battle Pets A-Tier
These pets don’t quite hit Idol/Val’kyr levels, but they’re staples in many collections:
- Mechanical Pandaren Dragonling: Decoy shuts down entire fights. Craftable via Engineering.
- Gilnean Raven / Crow: Darkness + Nocturnal Strike combo nukes opponents.
- Nether Faerie Dragon: Moonfire + Arcane Blast scales into big damage; has utility in PvE.
- Frogs: Reliable stuns with Frog Kiss and sustain via Healing Wave.
- Moths: Burst fliers with Moth Dust; easy to collect in bulk.
- Magical Crawdad: Wish + Renewing Mists team heals, ideal for long tournaments.
- Lil’ Bling: Fun but deadly Mechanical, especially with Inflation + Make it Rain.
- Kun-Lai Runt: Stun + Takedown combo. Hits hard, easy to farm.
- Fel Flame: Elemental DPS with Scorched Earth + Conflagrate.
- Arfus: New MoP Classic pet; Ice Tomb + AoE make it great in PvP comps.
Battle Pets B-Tier & C-Tier
While not strong in combat, some pets are irreplaceable:
- Terrible Turnip: The only pet with Weakening Blow, letting you capture wild pets without killing them.
- Fawns/Sheep/Skunks: Can heal your team in the field with Bleat. Useful during Celestial Tournament or when bandages run low.
Must-Have Rare Battle Pets
- Unborn Val’kyr: Spawns across Northrend, highly camped.
- Emerald Proto-Whelp: Limited Sholazar Basin spawns; farm-worthy for P/P breed.
- Sprite Darter Hatchling: Rare Feralas drop, collector’s gem.
- Arfus: Achievement-locked, prestige pet.
- Gilnean Raven: Vendor-locked for Worgen, valuable account-wide.
Final Thoughts
You don't have to collect every single pet in MoP Classic to succeed. Building a strong foundation with S- and A-tier pets will help you handle most daily quests, PvP battles, and tournaments. While rare pets like the Unborn Val'kyr and Sprite Darter Hatchling are worth farming for their strength and prestige in your collection. By mastering these top MoP battle pets, you'll be able to dominate any challenge that Pandaria's trainers or other players throw at you. Winning battles also means farming a lot of XP, which will help you progress faster.
And really… It's just so enjoyable to win!