Pack Instinct
Pack Instinct, introduced by Publish 16 in mid-July 2002, refers to a damage bonus that is granted when certain like-type creatures engage in combat under the control of a single Tamer. It recognizes that certain animals fight far more efficiently as a team than when solo. There are seven types of pack instinct creatures:
| Pack Type | Creatures |
|---|---|
| Arachnid | Frost Spider, Giant Spider, Scorpion |
| Bear | Black Bear, Brown Bear, Grizzly Bear, Polar Bear |
| Bull | Bull |
| Canine | Dire Wolf, Dog, Grey Wolf, Hell Hound, Leader Hell Hound, Timber Wolf, White Wolf |
| Daemon | Fire Steed, Imp |
| Equine | Fire Steed, ?? |
| Feline | Cat, Cougar, Hellcat, Leader Hellcat, Panther, Predator Hellcat, Snow Leopard |
| Ostard | Desert Ostard, Forest Ostard, Frenzied Ostard |
As suggested above, a Frost Spider and a Giant Spider both belong to the Arachnid group and can be used together to receive the pack instinct damage bonus. However, while a Frost Spider and Black Bear both can use pack instinct, they do not receive the damage bonus when used together since one is of the Arachnid group and the other is of the Bear group.
| Pets in Pack | Damage Bonus |
|---|---|
| 2 | +25% |
| 3 | +50% |
| 4 | +75% |
| 5 | +100% |
Notes
- All of the pets within the pack must be engaged with the same target to receive the maximum damage bonus. For example, if your 5-pack team engages two targets, with 3 pets on one target and 2 on the other, then you will only receive a total damage increase of +75%. The group of 3 garner a +50% bonus and the group of 2 receive a +25% bonus.[1]
- Pack Instinct is of particular value to Animal Tamers that are still mastering their skill. It allows them to hunt creatures that would otherwise handily dispatch the creatures that are subject to lower levels of Animal Taming skill. Put simply, Pack Instinct allows a Tamer to hunt bigger monsters, sooner.
- Neither the Dread Spider nor the Giant Black Widow are tamable, and therefore have no pack instinct.
- The Fire Steed, Imp, and Leader Hell Hound require 2 animal control slots.
References
See Also
Publish 16 - Taming Changes
Animal Taming
Animal Lore
Veterinary