Pet Armor

Having just recently returned to EQ, I've been playing on Phinny. Just for kicks I logged in to Luclin and boosted my mage to 85. I dismissed my pet and summoned up a new higher level version. I then went to equip him with some summoned armor, but it wouldn't take it?

Are pets summoned with all level appropriate armor and focus items now on live servers? If so, is it the same for the TLP servers (Phinny in particular)?

Mage pets starting at 76 (or thereabouts can't recall for certain )

That would explain it. I boosted my mage from level 73, and had always geared my pets up before.

Thanks.

I think at 76 or maybe its 86 they come with Haste mask pre equipped too (only mage pets tho!)

Yes, it depends both on the pet's level (so it's an era issue) and on your focus item.

Even unfocused mage pets are pre-summoned with era appropriate phantom-type armor (but only mage pets, not necros neither BST ones iirc). Focused pets get a cloak pre-summoned in the back slot with mod2 atributes which improve the stronger your focus item is. That's why high level pets don't accept items in visible armor slots, though you must remember a pet always prioritize AC > all (any pet, not only mage ones, will prefer an AC 10 no other stats item to an AC 9 5000 HP item. I quitted in HoT era, but the phantom plate in this era was already pretty good, giving AC, hps and some other stats.

Same applies to the mage-summoned mask, high level mage pets are pre-summoned with Muzzle of Mochwa, maybe even better post-HoT, that I don't know.

I am unsure if mage pets are pre-summoned with then mage summonable belt though, just try it out. No droppable item can beat the pet only summonable belt which has awesome stats for era-similar normal loot. Same applies to summonable weapons usually, you'll hardly find better for your pet.