Pet Battle Challenge: Blackrock Depths

I wanted to compile a pet setup that would not require me to have duplicates. Most of this is from Naareuh's post with some slight modifications based on pets I had, and some of it I pulled from other users on other threads.

Thank you Naareuh for the basis for this post! <3

One thing to note about this pet dungeon: a few of the encounters rely upon “survival” mechanics which make the fights incredibly long. Two of them are Apocalypse mechanics (waiting for it to land to kill the opponent) and two of them are healing mechanics, out-healing the opponent and chipping away at him. Just expect the dungeon to take you a bit of time to complete as a result.

Here’s a list of the level 25 rare pets you’ll need for this encounter (note that you may not need some of these pets, depending on what you come up against in the 2 randomized encounters):

Unborn Val’kyr, Infected Squirrel, Direbeak Hatchling, Iron Starlette, Clockwork Gnome, another mechanical or two with Decoy, Fozling, Broot, Blossoming Ancient, Kun-Lai Runt, Flayer Youngling, Stunted Yeti, 3 Moths, Summit Kid, Argi, Craighoof Kid, Ikky, Searing Scorchling (or similar), Imperial Silkworm, Fiendish Imp, Lava Beetle, Blightbreath, Fire Beetle, Gleamhoof Fawn, Chitterspine Skitterling, Cursed Birman, and Crazy Carrot

Horu Cloudwatcher: Unborn Val’kyr 2-x-1, Infected Squirrel 2-2-x, Direbeak Hatchling 1-2-1

Cast Haunt with the Val'kyr, swap to the Infected Squirrel and cast Creeping Fungus then Stampede; repeat until the Squirrel dies. Bring back in your Val’kyr. Shadow Shock until pet 2 dies, then Haunt pet 3. Direbeak Hatchling will Ironskin, Falcosaur Swarm then Predatory Strike for the win.

Randomized Beast battle; could be any one of these pets [I’ll update this section later with additional pets as I encounter them.]

Liz (easy): Iron Starlette Windup, Supercharge, Windup, Windup, Windup, mop up with Clockwork Gnome.
Rampage (sucks): He keeps interrupting and throwing high-dps bananas at team. Iron Starlette – Powerball, Windup x2, Explode. Darkmoon Tonk – Shock and Awe, Ion Cannon. Cleanup with Clockwork Gnome.
Ralf (easy): Iron Starlette Windup, Supercharge, Windup, Windup, Windup, mop up with Clockwork Gnome.

Therin Skysong: Fozling 2-2-2, Broot 2-2-2, Blossoming Ancient 2-2-2 as backup.

Start the fight with Fozling, cast Rock Barrage, Sunlight, then Photosynthesis. Swap to Broot.
Cast Ironbark, Photosynthesis, Sunlight. Swap back and forth between the two, dotting up the opponent and slowly chipping away at its health, placing priority on keeping your pets’ health up with Photosynthesis right before you swap pets (they’ll continue to heal up on the backline).
Once the 1st opponent pet is down, battle the 2nd opponent in the same way. He will swap out your pets frequently. Just keep their health up and chip away at them for the win.

Another randomized battle that could be 2 of these pets [I’ll update this section later with additional pets as I encounter them.]

Tempton: Kun-Lai Runt 1-1-1, Flayer Youngling 2-2-2, Yeti 1-1-1 Cast Mangle, Rampage, then Thrash. Runt dies. Enter FY. Triple Snap to kill rat. 3rd pet wasn’t needed.
Ninn Jah: Any 3 Moths w/ Alpha Strike, Cocoon and Moth Dust. Moth Dust, fill with Alpha Strike. Cocoon to block Whirlpool if possible, but not necessary. Probably won’t need the 3rd Moth.
Char: Summit Kid, Argi or Craighoof Kid with Chew, Stampede and whatever else. Chew first, then Stampede. Second pet, Chew, then Stampede. Shouldn’t need the 3rd pet.
Shred: Ikky w/ Black Claw and Flock, Elemental w/immolate and conflagrate. Cast Black Claw, then Flock. Ikky dies. Swap in elemental. Cast Immolate and Conflagrate. Shouldn’t need the 3rd pet.
Wilbur: 3 mechanical types work nicely. I used Cogblade Raptor with Overtune and Batter spam, Darkmoon Tonk with Decoy and Missile spam and didn’t need the 3rd pet. (Explode with Darkmoon Tonk if he gets close to dying for some reason.)
Splint: Unborn Val’kyr, Ikky and Macabre Marionette. Shadow Slash, Curse of Doom, Unholy Ascension. Black Claw, Flock. Didn’t need Marionette.

Alran Heartshade: Imperial Silkworm 2-1-2, Fiendish Imp 2-x-2, Lava Beetle 2-2-2

[Credit Buuloki.] This fight is extremely tough. You MUST do these steps as they’re laid out exactly to win with this strategy. The goal is to switch in the harder backline opponent pets and kill them off with Apocalypse, timing it perfectly so that your Beetle takes the hit and doesn’t die. Part of the challenge is keeping Frill on the frontline, but as he swaps pets out with his abilities too, you have to strategically keep him in place with Silkworm’s Sticky Goo.

Step 1 - Defeating Ruddy

Sticky Goo. Swap to Lava Beetle. Apocalypse.
Swap to Imperial Silkworm. Use Sticky Goo until there are 8 rounds left on Apocalypse. Stop when the number says 8.
Use Consume and alternate Pass turns until there are 5 rounds left on Apocalypse.
When there are 5 rounds left on Apocalypse, swap to Fiendish Imp.
Sear Magic. Pass - You are stunned. Nether Gate.
Swap to Lava Beetle - Ruddy dies
Swap back to Imperial Silkworm immediately

Step 2 - Defeating Wanderer, then Frill

Sticky Goo x2. Swap to Lava Beetle. Cauterize, then Apocalypse.
Swap back to Imperial Silkworm. Sticky Goo (Consume between Sticky Goo to heal if needed) until there are 9 rounds left on Apocalypse. Stop when the number says 9.
Use Consume and Pass turns until there are 5 rounds left on Apocalypse. If Frill is getting low, just pass.
When there are 5 rounds left on Apocalypse, swap to Fiendish Imp. Nether Gate.
Pass until Apocalypse has 1 turn left, bringing in Beetle for the Apocalypse hit; finish killing off Frill.

Zuna Skullcrush: Blightbreath 2-1-2, Fire Beetle 1-2-2, Gleamhoof Fawn 2-1-1

The goal of this fight is to keep the easy opponent (Fozling) in the frontline until you swap out for Apocalypse to kill off the harder backline opponent. The first bash swaps out a harder opponent for an easier one, keeping him in place until you swap him out to kill off a backline pet.

1. Cast Bash.
2. Swap in Fire Beetle and cast Apocalypse.
3. Swap to Gleamhoof Fawn and chill for awhile casting Tranquility and Bleat.
4. Three turns before Apocalypse hits, switch back to Blightbreath and Bash.
5. Swap back to Fire Beetle. Heal with Cauterize and wait for Apocalypse to hit, then hang out until you can recast Apocalypse.
6. Swap to Fawn and chill for awhile casting Tranquility and Bleat.
7. One turn before Apocalypse detonates, switch to the Beetle. Next round with Apocolypse, let it kill the Fozling. He’s the hardest to kill off at the end because of his crazy heals. Additionally, the magical won’t die to Apocalypse. When only one opponent stands, chip away at it with the Beetle, then bring in Blightbreath to finish it off, alternating Sleeping Gas and Slime.

Tasha Riley: Chitterspine Skitterling 1-2-2. Lil’ Bling 2-2-1, Cursed Birman 1-1-2

[Credit: Buuloki]
Black Claw, Swarm, Pass. Swarm or Make it Rain, depending on whether Skitterling is still alive.
Extra Plating, Make it Rain, Inflation, Extra Plating, Make it Rain, Inflation.
Inflation, Prowl, Call Darkness. You should win, even if Birman goes into his Undead phase.

Pixy Wizzle: Crazy Carrot 2-x-1.

Backline doesn’t matter, and will get killed. Keep up Blistering Cold, then Ironbark, and resist casting any other ability. It’s slow, but Crazy Carrot will win the day eventually.

Congratulations on your win! :)

Edited 5/2/2020 to add a couple pet recommendations for Shred.
Edited 5/19/2020 to add strategy for Wilbur and give more specifics on Rampage.
Edited 6/4/2020 to add strategy for Splint.

** Edited 23-04-2020 as this post went out of my mind while I updated strategies meanwhile **

Pick the quest at your favorite battle pet trainer in Boralus, approximatively located on 50 / 47.

Then you need to go to Blackrock : for those who forgot, you need to enter the fortress, go down to the lava lake then find a small door next to the end of a chain. Get into the tunnels looking for the NPC who stands next to the dungeon entrance.

Fights :

Horu :

Unborn Val'kyr 1-x-2, infected squirrel 2-2- and direbeak hatchling 1-2-1.

Val'kyr casts "haunt".
Bring the squirrel and cast "creeping fungus" then "stampede". Go on like this until the squirrel dies facing the 2nd raptor.
Bring the Val'kyr back and cast a couple of "shadow shocks" to get him done and "haunt" on the third raptor.
Direbeak hatchling casts "ironskin" then "swarm", "predatory strike", and that's good!

2nd fight :

Opponents may vary but so far I have always faced beasts. Thus I pick a lil' Bling 2-2-1 (plating, make it rain, inflation, make it rain again) adding an extra one or an iron starlette just in case. Actually you can pick pretty much any mechanical pet with "wind up" or explode" to make it fast.

Therin :

Pick a couple of 2-2-2 Fozlings and a Lil' siege tower 2-1-1 or Pocket Canon just in case. Most of the time, the couple of Fozlings should do the trick by themselves.

Fozlings maintain "sunlight" active and heal themselves, switching from time ot time. When one dies or if you get impatient facing the second opponent, switch to the siege tower and hit him hard with "flame shot".

4th fight :

That one can vary as well and is not difficult. I guess you can pick pretty much anything that works against the opponents racials.

Shred : rebellious imp 1-1-1 and two lava crabs 1-1-1. Imp casts "immolate" and "portal". Crabs cast "shield" and hit him all along with "burn". Actually only one crab would do, the others are optional.
Char : Unborn Val'kyr 1-2-1 and infected squirrel 2-2-x. Val'kyr casts "curse" then "haunt". Squirrel casts "creeping fungus" and "stampede". You might actually pick rabbits or whatever on that one.
Splint : Same as above but skip your first turn on Val'kyr.
Wilbur : A couple iron starlettes 1-1-2 will do the trick, casting "wind up" as much as you can then "explode".
Ninn Jah : Three 2-1-1 Crackers or Bloodbeaks.

5th fight : Alran!

Imperial silkworm 2-1-2 , fiendish imp 2-x-2 and lava / fire beetle or any roach with "apocalypse".

You may pick a sister of temptation 1-1-1 instead of the imp as I have been going for so far, unfortunately it only worked if the sister did not get stunned during a couple of turns. Buuloki (credits to him!) found a longer but more reliable strategy in his guide, suggesting the fiendish imp.

FYI if you do not have that imp, strategy goes the same way but you have to pray the sister does not gets stunned right before "apocalypse" hits and pick an "experimental roach" 1-1-2 so both the sister and the roach can hit Ruddy hard. Personaly I would play safe on that one and pick the imp as you cannot revive dead pets during the gauntlet.

So, here is the idea :

Turn 1, sticky goo.
Turn 2, switch to the roach and cast "apocalypse".
Switch back to the silkworm and alternate "sticky goo" and "consumate". Make sure "sticky goo" fades away 5 turns before "apocalypse" hits, skip turns if needed.
From then, pick the imp and cast "sear magic", skip turn because of the stun and cast "nether gate".
If you went for the "sister of temptation", you have to stun the imp a few turns before "apocalypse" ends while sticky goo is not active and praying the sister does not get stunned first. From then the sister and the roach can decimate the remaining enemies, ignoring the following steps.
Switch back to the roach when "apocalypse" hits.
Switch to the worm and cast "sticky goo" for 3 turns, so that "apocalypse" reloads.
Pick the roach and cast "apocalypse" once more.
Switch back (!) to the worm and hit the enemy imp, maintaining that sticky goo over his face. Kill him 2 or 3 turns before "apocalypse" hits.
Pick the roach just before the timer expires and that is done!

Zuna : the real challenge.

Blightbreath 2-1-2 - lava / fire beetle 1-2-2 (or any roach with "apocalypse") and rescued / gleamhoof fawn 2-1-1.

At first I went for a pair of 2-1-1 Ikky and a 1-x-2 Naxxie or 1-2-1 bloodbrood whelping. Unfortunately, taking a critical strike on the 1st Ikky or the Naxxie / whelping ruins it all... Needing two "Ikky" (zandalari raptors proved to be less efficient), I could only make one try per dungeon.

Buuloki's guide suggested something with a recent, rare battle pet which is Scalebrood hydra. It had to be from a specific breed and even so, it was RNG dependent as I could read...

FORTUNATELY I found out the ultimate strategy, 100% win though it takes a long time! Cherry on top, involved battle pets are quite easy to find :-)
As Blightbreath takes low damage, he might be replaced with any stunner (though I did not give it a try).

Turn 1, Blightbreath casts "bash".
Turn 2, let your beetle in and cast "apocalypse".
Turn 3, switch to your fawn and cast "bleat" and "tranquility".
Maintain "tranquility" active all along casting "bleat" when available.
Three turns before "apocalypse" hits, switch back to Blightbreath so he casts "bash", then go back to your beetle. Heal it with "cauterize" and cast "apocalypse" once more as soon as you can, then switch back to the fawn and go as back to "bleat" and "tranquility".
One turn before "apocalypse" detonates, switch to the beetle.
When only one opponent stands, switch to the fawn and cast "tranquility", "bleat" and "stampede".
Fawn dies, let Blightbreath in and cast "slime" then "sleeping gas". If the opponent was not put to sleep, cast "bash".
Either ways, go on alternating between "slime" and "narcotic gas" and that is done :-)

Tasha :

1-2-1 Elusive skimmer, 1-2-2 mechanical pandaren dragonling and 2-2-1 Lil' Bling

Cast "whirlpool", "stampede" and finish him off with "scratch". Cast "whirlpool" once more when he revived and you should be able to cast "stampede" again on the 2nd opponent. Not a big deal if you cannot.
Pandaren dragon casts "breath" then "decoy" and kills spamming "breath".
Switch to Lil' Bling to face the last opponent : plating, make it rain, inflation. When he dies, bring back your pandaren dragon and cast "thunderbolt" and "breath", using "decoy" as soon as you can.

EDIT : the following time it did not go well and I went for a more reliable strategy from Buuloki's guide : Chitterspine skitterling 1-2-2, Lil'Bling 2-2-1 and Cursed birman 2-1-2. Goes the same but Bling kills the 2nd opponent and casts "inflation" on the last while the Birman casts "prowl" then "call darkness".

Pixy :

That one hits himself so better heal your pets : pick three singing sunflowers or even better : Broot 2-2-2 of Fozling. Broot can actually win by himself allowing you to pick anything to fill the team.

Play it safe healing yourself and maintaining "sunlight" active.

Feel free to upvote ^_^

EDIt : In case some of my strategies did not work out or if you do not have specific pets or duplicates, feel free to have a look at Bulooki's guide and comments posted under it!

Why does the tooltip say "Ask Burt Macklyn to open the Stratholme service entrance." if we are at BRD?