Tallstrider Review
Tallstrider – Lost Torranche
Overall Rank: 19/23 – Not Recommended
| Name: SuperChicken DPS: 134.0/148.8 HP: 6549 Armor: 11000 Damage reduction: 51.03% Skills: Bite, Dash |
Solo: (C+) Has dash. High health is nice, too bad he couldn’t hold agro. Instance: (D) Brings no utility other than HP. You’re better off with DPS. BG: (C+) Dash can keep your opponent in combat, but it’s like a huge “here’s a hunter” arrow when walking beside you. Arena:(C-) May give you a slight advantage while your opponents are laughing at you. |
There were only two modes my tallstrider was in while soloing: lost agro or dead. The second one may have been me just being lazy, but I used more pet food testing this pet than any other by at least 3 fold. It was like he wasn’t happy unless 3 or more mobs had agroed, and he was blocking my view of 2 of them so I didn’t know to use Mend Pet. Even with extra health (+5% gives a whopping 300), it wasn’t long until there were mobs running at a petless hunter.
The saving grace of this family is dash. Getting to mobs quick and chasing down runners in PvP gave me hope that this time he wouldn’t be the main course at an all you can eat strider buffet.
Game play aside, I like the family a lot. I could see myself with either of the 2 unique lowbie skins Mazzranache or Strider Clutchmother should some stable slots open up. The attack sound was borderline annoying. Some may hate it, others may love it. I found it to be the cry of an innocent soldier going off to war to die.
The Mystic Hunter 
Trackmeat said,
May 1, 2008 at 11:07 am
I have to agree.
I have Mazzranche up to level 60, and he blows eggs.
I pulled out my level 54 wolf, and he killed things quicker, and held agro just as good or better than my level 60 Pick Flamingo.
I wish they would open up more slots though, cuz I love the look of this Ugly Ass Bird.
batgrl said,
May 22, 2008 at 5:33 am
Also agree with the review – I have Mazzranache and I’ve leveled him to 66, but purely because it’s so darn funny. The attack sound amuses me, as does the pecking animation. I plan to take him into bg at 70 just for fun, as soon as my hunter’s geared well enough. Soloing can be tricky, but actually he’s only died on me a few times, and that’s when we were trying to 2 man a group quest. The extra stamina is helpful, but the lack of good dps keeps me having to hold back my damage, and things get killed fairly slowly. What’s interesting is that before you tame Mazzranache he has a poison skill. Would have been nice if we’d be able to keep that.
Intrepidacious said,
May 22, 2008 at 8:46 am
From your review it sounds like the strider was a disaster — doesn’t make sense to me, a level 66 hunter who’s successfully used the pink strider ever since I was level 40. With your tallstrider at Loyalty 2, you probably didn’t have much training points on him; perhaps that’s why it didn’t go well? I’ve had Mazzranache since I was 40 (a level 40 hunter with a level 9 pet, what a pain!). I’ve had great results with the flamingo but that may be because he’s maxed on loyalty so I’ve got him maxed on Bite, Cobra Reflexes, etc., and I’m mostly BM. He’s 66 at the moment and is a great tank, crits a lot, holds aggro very well, etc. I normally don’t even bother with Intimidation unless I’ve critted two or three times in a row, and think that the mob might aggro me, then I’ll pop Intimidation. Didn’t they change the attack speeds and so forth so that all pets are pretty nearly leveled out anyway?
Znodis said,
May 22, 2008 at 11:04 am
I definitely, don’t blame the family for the deaths, but in my defense, I was watching my own heath much more often than my pets due to agro.
Rank 2 is definitely high enough for evaluations, as other than growl and cobra reflexes, I’m not taking any of the other talents that are available to every family. For testing they get family specific skills those other 2 and nothing else. No +sta, +armor, or resists. Since every pet has access to them they should not affect comparison between them. My strider had growl, CR, bite 9 and dash, everything else is bonus and wasn’t used for any other family.
As for agro issues, I am doing as much damage as possible without using those 1+min cooldowns. Anyone can scale back damage a bit so that any pet can tank. The best pets are those that let you go all out without flinching. Striders flinched for me. A lot.
Pets are somewhat leveled out, the key differentials are dash/dive/etc which striders have and focus dumps which they do not. The differences in family stats I would compare to differences in racial stats. There’ aren’t many people taking NE over dwarfs because they get slightly more Agi. Spiders with +7% DPS do less damage than crabs with -4% DPS only because crabs have a focus dump.
Sorry to anyone that feels like I’m knocking their favorite pet family, but for objective comparisons sake, I test as if there’s a weighted companion cube beside me and I’m comparing it to another companion cube. Subjectivity does come into play, which is why I wrote that 3rd paragraph, and also why I’d not take a ravager again unless I needed to.
Intrepidacious said,
June 9, 2008 at 12:34 pm
I went and tamed Torranche a couple days ago. Got rid of it. One thing really struck me — the running animation is all wrong, to me!
I spent about twenty minutes switching back and forth between the new purple strider and my existing level 69 pink strider, studying their running animations, which you would THINK are the same, since they’re both tallstriders, right?
My level 69 pink strider runs in long-legged, graceful strides, its head and neck move backward and forward in rhythm with the long strides — they really did a remarkable job with the animation.
But the level 70 purple strider “Lost Torranche” runs in short jerky stiff movements of its legs, and its upper body is relatively stiff while running. Amazing difference and a big disappointment to me. It really spoils what’s otherwise a nice-looking strider.
Jebeon said,
July 9, 2008 at 1:11 pm
I have the lvl 70 purple tallstrider as a vanity pet. It is ok on holding agro. All they have is growl and bite so what can we expect lol. I do like their idle animation, they preen themselves with their beaks. :)
batgrl said,
July 10, 2008 at 3:25 am
I have my pink tallstrider at lvl 67 currently and still think you’re correct in your assessment. In comparison with my lvl 66 boar’s aggro lead with its damage, the tallstider still can’t hold aggro as well – and my hunter isn’t really all that well geared (am in all greens, that’s probably what makes playing with the bird much easier). I have to let the bird get a head start before doing damage, and keep my eye on omen – though with Bite 9 it’s less of a problem than it used to be. And he’s at max loyalty, and I’m max’d mostly Beastmaster as well. But it’s not a bad pet and I am killing things much faster at this level than I was when the bird was in the lower 60s. If I ever really gear up my hunter in any purples and put a serious shot rotation into play I’m pretty sure I’ll easily be able to pull aggro from the pet.
I really enjoy playing with the the bird and consider it my main pet while the boar is for backup (and if I ever get roped into instancing). However for the purposes of the reviews here it’s fair to say that the tallstider is definitely a very different experience than playing with a cat or a raptor, will make you work on aggro mangement if you are well geared and have high dps, and it’d be a real headache for anyone trying another spec than BM. As long as I kept my bird healed I can’t say that deaths are ever that much of a problem though. However I’ve not tried him tanking in an instance yet – Intrepidacious is a bit braver than I am as far as that goes!
kevryn said,
August 2, 2008 at 7:55 am
Got Mazzranache 3 days ago on my 70 hunter on a whim. Took him to firewing Point to power lvl him. At lvl 64 he cannot hold agro on lvl 63 BEs, I am epic’d out almost completely for PvP and changing a few pieces of gear my +hit goes to the 90 some range.
Using a St/Auto rotation only, he cannot maintain agro for a complete kill. I have him with lvl 2 resistances, sta, max bite, dash and max growl for his lvl.
He will end up a gimmick for fun in the BGs and traveling companion for fishing/mining. I’ll stick with my Ghost Sabre and Owl (Gutripper) for the serious stuff.
Jodes said,
August 7, 2008 at 10:21 pm
lol i totally disagree. I have the Strider mother since lvl 20 and she holds agro fine. Tallstriders are more of a tank pet then damage dealers. I lvled with her till 70 (i also have a cat and wind serpent i rotate) and i have found no issues with her.
True she isn’t going to break any damage records but she can hold 3 mobs without dying while i pew pew em down. Plus she’s an awesome green colour :)
Kezu said,
August 10, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Now I picked up one of the purple Tallstriders when they opened up the new areas for the Druid Flight Form. I have to say I have had nothing but wonderful times with him. He seems to have the damage avoidance factor of a bird, and can dish out the damage and hold aggro as well as any of my cats. I have to admit a bear will out tank him, but as a MS hunter I have absolutely no problem killing stuff before he looses aggro.
And I have to say, on the beta server, he’s even more versatile. The pet tree has an ability that will res him every 10 minutes after he dies so even if he goes down, boom, he’s back up and fighting again and all I have to do is feign to drop aggro back onto him.
Yepadwa said,
August 15, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Everyone’s said since I tamed Mazzranache at level 9 that I’d replace him, but then again, I’m also one of those hunters that get attached. Originally he was a joke pet, but my pink flamingo has been with me to level 48 now, and he’s never really given me a problem when it comes to holding aggro. But then I keep his loyalty level high. I intend to keep him with me through 70, and like the look of the pet tree for Tallstrider in WotLK.
Johnsdk said,
August 16, 2008 at 10:19 am
I trained my Tallstrider where it starts at level 70, (the ones in Terokkra) I think they are good for instances, well its only at Rank 3 now, so I have not used all the training points yet.
It have the ability of cover, that is monsters is less to attack you.
Anonymous said,
September 8, 2008 at 12:52 am
Heh, looks like these chickens will have the last laugh in WotLK
They are getting a base increase in damage of 10%, so will be on par with a cat. And they will get a focus dump – Claw. They will be in a greater overall pet class called Ferocity and will get charge /w a stun and critical strike bonuses. And they will eat bread!
Plus they get a special skill: Dust Cloud
Your tallstrider kicks up an obscuring cloud
of dust, causing all enemies within 10 yards
to miss their next attack. Lasts for 8 sec.
20 focus, 40 second cool down (30 seconds w/ talents)
If Bosses aren’t immune – expect to see them in raids. I believe this is the skill similar to what the clutchmother now uses in PRE-WotLK.
Mishas said,
November 1, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Now with 5 pet slots I gotta get mazzaranche. Is it difficult to powerlvl a pet if I use it at high lvl places? Is it weeks of work? Was thinking a long time before choosinng pet many years ago in the low lvls but went with a croc. and a raptor for raiding. croc is for the characteristic feeling and rp.
Anonymous said,
December 31, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Im lv 80 and ive had my Strider Cluchmother since 27 when i first saw her on Petopia =P. Im very atached to her and i dont think lvling with her have been any problem, i havent used any pet exept her. and with the ferocity talets she does damage great =) she wast that good aggro holder but i easily fixed it with a Misdirection macro (now when it is only 30s CD)
I havent done raids yet.. but i watched one Boss, Loken, he does a big AoE sometimes so i felt like trying out the dust cloud.
what happens? Everyone is running away like they are told while my strider do dust cloud, still attacks Loken, he do his AoE.. and Miss O.o twice he missed my strider with that AoE, cuz if he hadn’t that AoE would kill my Strider instantly =P
Well.. just felt like sharing ^^ Cya strider hunters =P
Demo said,
September 12, 2010 at 4:45 pm
I was always particularly fond of Mazzranache, and after discovering the Clutchmother and the Lost Torranche, I’ve been hooked on the striders since. I’ve had Mazz since he was level 9 and is currently with me still at level 71. And although in a larger instance, he cannot tank as well as a player, he can hold people off well enough for us to grab our balls and run if we need.
I’ve had many instances fall when the healer is a complete and total shitty guy and isn’t even specked for it and it gets down to me, Mazz, and one other guy and Mazz pulls and holds agro like he’s some sort of Super-Hero while the other player and I dish out as much damage as we can before we either A. have to book it, or B. know we’re going to die.
He’s also extremely handy as, when he dies, I just pop the Phoenix and he’s back up and pissed off as ever. With Beastial Wrath he pulls off 500-1000+ attacks and he’s always a lower level than I am. I can’t wait to see him at 80.
Although I wouldn’t make him solo tank *ever*, he’s an amazing guy to have around and with my Mulgore Hatchling(an identical mini), I’m the one of those hunters on crack who pulls out a bird and whoops ass and takes name.
;) And dual-specked, makes it very easy to have him bend a little better to this and that.
I’ve never used any other pet, although I have Echeyakee in my stable so I may pull him out and dabble in it. But, on a whole – the hunters with wolves and cats and spiders are all slightly common. :D Next goal is a rhino. Although he’ll be purely cosmetic. Lmao.