What are rares?
Rares are rare mobs (mobiles) that spawn or appear rarely. Normal mobs re-spawn after a few minutes or even seconds. Rare mobs have a Silver Dragon on their portrait. There are elite and non-elite rares.
Why hunt rares?
1. Achievements. With the new Achievement system, there are four exploration achievements for killing a rare, two for killing ALL the rares. Also, with all the cloth you will get, the ‘stocking up’ achievement will be done.
2. The thrill of the hunt. When that rare pops up on your screen your heart starts beating and the excitement rises. I like hunting things, but without the blood.
3. It’s a challenge. It’s not something you can just decide to do and do. It takes patience, planning and practice.
4. Money. Each rare mob drops a Bind on Equip blue item that usually sells well in the Auction house. Northrend rares also drop a satchel that contains a large amount of gold (17-22g) and cloth (20 frostweave). Chances are your profession is a farming one, and you can collect ore, herbs or gas nodes along the way.
5. Entertainment. The rares, once you find them, sometimes put you on a merry chase through the zone while you try to find a safe spot to land and kill them, all before anyone else does. Also, the items they drop are usually comical in nature, like ‘The Seat Cushion of the Thief’ or when you kill the one-eyed beholder, he will give you a ‘Beholder’s glass eye’ which makes one of your eyes glow pink when equipped.
6. And last but not least, bragging rights. I have yet to not get a stunned ‘Wow….’ When I link my completed achievement.
How do I get started?
Don’t just run around randomly clicking on everything, like I did at first. To get started, pick a zone you frequent and visit a few spawn points.
WotLK
http://www.wowhead.com/?npcs&filter=cl=4:2;cr=36:13;crs=1:2;crv=0:0#0-3+1
BC
http://www.wowhead.com/?npcs&filter=cl=4:2;cr=26:36:13;crs=1:2:2;crv=0:0:0#0+3+1
Eventually you will have every location of every rare in these lists memorized, but at the start, just start small.
Tools you want:
A map. http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc100/dax006/wotlkrares1.jpg
Macros – see end of post
Rarefinder mob – http://wowui.incgamers.com/?p=mod&m=3776?gr_i_ni
Epic flying
Insomnia
Demon and undead tracking potions, and beast and humanoid tracking snacks are not required, but do make the down-time more interesting.
I have also uploaded my Cartographer.lua data file. Get the cartographer mod, and replace the cartographer.lua file in the Accountname/SavedVariables folder, with this.
http://rs762.rapidshare.com/files/216934222/Cartographer.lua
If you need to look up a specific mob for more accurate info or pictures, I have found that Thottbot is more accurate for BC, and Wowhead is more accurate for WotLK
