Hunting the Silver Dragons.

From vicious dragons and tigers to cuddly trolls and ogres we've all seen a rare spawn from time to time. Rare spawns are mob or monsters that have different timers than normal monsters. The spawn timers on each one are different, (some rare spawns that reside in the same zone share a timer)
There are many challenges in hunting rare spawn mobs, but the rewards are well worth the time and effort it will take.

The tools you will need:
There are several tools that are helpful in hunting down rare spawns. While you do not absolutely need any of these they will make it much easier on you if you are looking for a specific mob.

The first and foremost is NPCSCAN. You can acquire this addon here: http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-a...s/npcscan.aspx
This little gem is very helpful in tracking down rare spawns as it will alert you of the mobs appearance once you get within targeting range. This is much more effective than making a targeting macro and spamming it as you fly through the zone.

Another helpful addon that works in conjunction with NPC scan is NPCscan overlay. Found here:
http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-a...n-overlay.aspx
This overlay with mark the spawning points on your map and mini map so you don't have the guess which area your rare spawn is hiding out.

Silver Dragon
is another addon much like NPC scan, but this addon will total up how many times you have seen the mob spawn and at what times. Found here: http://wow.curse.com/downloads/wow-a...er-dragon.aspx

Another very helpful tool is actually not an addon at all. Grabbing one or two Focusing Lens, from a Jewelcrafter or the Auction house will save you the time of wondering just which direction the rare spawn has run off to. http://www.wowhead.com/item=41367

Tactics to hunting:

The wait and see method:
One tactic that I have seen players use is finding one spot where the mob known to spawn and camping that one spot. I have not tried this method since it seems ineffective as the mob could have spawned at another known location and you are sitting there for hours perhaps days wondering where the damn thing is.

Fellow hunters unite method
:
Another method is starting your own channel and having other people join the channel to alert you of rare spawns in the area. This can also be done by just asking if anyone has seen the mob in /1 or general chat. The issue with this method is at times players will give you false information to throw you off track. I tried this method a few times only to be met with “Yeah I already killed him.” Later I found out that said person was throwing me off track so a guildie could get the mob.

On the move constantly
:
This has been my go to method and quite possibly the one that led to the best results. Simply hunting in one zone at a time and flying around the spawn points over and over until the mob is found. (I usually flew around Scholozar three times every two to three hours to find the Spirit Beast) Once I was sure there were no rare spawns in the area I went to another area that contained a rare spawn I was looking for. This method is easily done with friends and guildies. The more the merrier and the more ground you can cover in less time.
If you have a gathering profession even better, you may not find the mob that hour or even that day, but if you gathered on your way you will at least know where your nodes spawn and also have a few mats to put on the AH.



Tips, Tricks, and Hints with Rarespawn hunting:


If you are a hunter looking to tame an exotic rare spawn make sure you are either in Beast Mastery spec, or have a Beast Mastery spec as your off spec. I can't tell you how many hunters I have heard of that have seen that exotic they really wanted, but did not have a BM spec ready. Usually they try to fly off to respec but by that time it is too late, someone usually have beat them to it.

If you are a non hunter it's polite to allow a hunter, who will actually use the pet to tame it. I hunted the Spirit Beast in WOTLK for close to 6 months only to have him killed by other players trying to get the achievement.

That brings up another great point, if you are on a PVP server and are trying to tame rare spawns, don't waste your time getting into pvp battles over the pet. It's better to either get in tame it and get out, or just allow the other hunter to tame it. If you kill the mob, not only have you ruined your chances at taming that mob for a few hours, but the rival hunter will still be hunting for the mob.

If you see the rare spawn you are hunting don't freak out. Stay calm do not alert general chat to your findings, too many players will look for your find and try to take it away from you.

If you finally see the rare spawn and there seems to be no one else around, aire on the side of cation. Drop a flare where you plan on taming the mob, you don't want a pesky rogue or druid killing your or your new pet before you cast finishes.

Rare spawn hunting is 90% luck and 10% diligence. If you don't find the one you are looking for on your first day don't give up! Keep at it. Hemet Nessingwary would tell you “Prey doesn't just waltz up to you asking to be shot.”

Server restarts can also be a great time to hunt mobs as their spawn timer has been reset. I found most of my amazing pets after a server restart or late at night. Remember just like farming nodes the best time to hunt for rare spawns is when the majority of players are elsewhere, less competition that way.

Remember rare spawn hunting and WoW are supposed to be fun. If you find yourself getting aggravated take a break. It's better to be relaxed and empty handed than angry and empty handed.


About the author:
I have hunted rare spawns since I first hit level 19 long long ago. Since that time during WOTLK I was lucky enough and diligent enough to have tamed all but one spirit beast and rare spawns. ( I didn't want the bear). Even now as Deathwing has ripped our continent apart I hunt for these silver dragons. Rare spawn hunting is a great way to pass the time as well as a great challenge for hunters and non hunters alike.