Best Pet for a 31 LM?

[Narwhall]

Hi all i'm currently running my LM through some small fellowship stuff in Evendim. I've managed to complete about half and am planning on going back for more. What pet should i use? I usually am taking on 2 to 3 mobs at one time, in rare times 4 and can handle it (with knowledge of the white.) I'm wondering what pet i should i use. I have been using the lynx because of that massive damage surprise attack skill, but yesterday in a gb run one of the members suggest i use my bear because of more damage and better morale. Or maybe i should use the raven? I don't know.
Please help

[geoboy]

I used the lynx and send it in before me to start a fight so it gets it's surprise attack off (make sure to enable the skills).

[Amonceleb]

Hi all i'm currently running my LM through some small fellowship stuff in Evendim. I've managed to complete about half and am planning on going back for more. What pet should i use? I usually am taking on 2 to 3 mobs at one time, in rare times 4 and can handle it (with knowledge of the white.) I'm wondering what pet i should i use. I have been using the lynx because of that massive damage surprise attack skill, but yesterday in a gb run one of the members suggest i use my bear because of more damage and better morale. Or maybe i should use the raven? I don't know.
Please help

When you say you are doing "small fellowship stuff", do you mean you're soloing the content or actually going through in a small fellowship? The context seemed to indicate the former.

The lynx is going to give you the best "burst" damage with his sneak attack. His other two attacks (I'm not sure when they're available) are AoE attacks, which can help but also spoil any crowd control you may be attempting, so use with care.

I don't know that the bear has better morale, and with regard to sustained over time damage, I'm not sure this is true either. The bear does have some beneficial situational skills, including a very nice debuff as well as an instant taunt. Many LM's as they're leveling find the lynx a better general purpose pet, and the bear more of a special situation one. Of course, there is a strong contingent of ursaphiles who love their bears and use them throughout their careers. This boils down largely to personal taste and playstyle. And the only way to establish this is to try both and see which "fits" the best for you.

[Murdernickle]

As moncey said it's a highly personalized preference for what you are going to like in the field. For myself I stuck by the raven until I got the lynx. I really tried the bear for a short amount of time, but just found that the distraction and fire debuff of the raven was too much to get away from for a small force taunt.

The lynx turned into my preferred pet and I still use him to this day. I'm still working on getting the eagle and bog lurker but from my experience in seeing them in grouped content they are very situational. The lynx seems to be a generally nice all around pet and I keep it by my side 99% of the time.

Group content is another story and it highly depends on where I'm going, but for general running around, my lynx is my friend.

[Dubblebass]

Lynx for sure if you are soloing.

The raven has nice flanking frequency, but the damage from the lynx far outweighs it in my opinion. As for the bear, it doesn't have more sustained damage that I can tell, particularly after they changed the talent to affect all pets by decreasing the level difference from you by 1. The bear taunt is almost worthless as far as I can tell also. It does have more morale and can take more damage but I would rather kill faster and get the fight over with. Why take the damage when you can prevent it? ;-)

[Darlgon]

Soloing, lynx hands down. The problem with the lynx in the situations the OP describes in his post is that the lynx only gets one surprise attack in on the four mobs. May want to try to be more careful with pulls, get two at a time and kill them off faster, since your AE stinks at level 31.

However, since you appear to be grouping, you may want to consider either raven or bear, as you may want to get the bear stun or force taunt to supplement your Blinding Flash mez on adds and to save your tank for a minute or raven archer distraction.

Remember the mantra, " Loremasters are NOT DPS, Loremasters are crowd control. Loremasters are NOT DPS, Loremasters are crowd control." DPS is for hunters and runekeepers until you get your legendary capstone in Moria.

[mashedbanana]

Like what some have mentioned, the lynx is advisable to use when you are soloing because of its high damage from Surprise Attack, which at times would be enough to kill one mob.

The bear, on the other hand, is often used during groups because of the extra CC (Roar, Bear Hug). Well, that's what I use it for anyway.

The raven is good if you're doing instances/etc with undead mobs since it gives you Shadow def, and stronger fire damage.

I never really stuck to one pet, tbh. Each has their pros and cons, and what you use should depend on the situation.

I agree with this, though! :P

Remember the mantra, " Loremasters are NOT DPS, Loremasters are crowd control. Loremasters are NOT DPS, Loremasters are crowd control."

[SixFootDwarf]

I was amazed when I got the Lynx. Soloing he is like a little missile. Since I got him I tried the bear and will call on him when I know the Lynx is going to get beat up. I like running the landscape with the Lynx, many fewer accidental encounters. Can't wait to try the Eagle.