Guidelines on what level pets a Hunter can charm can be found at the excellent Hunter FAQ here; http://vnboards.ign.com/message.asp?topic=51720539
"The release of the updated Prima strategy guide actually gives a surprisingly simple (and accurate) theory on how the Beastcraft charm spells work. All but the last version allow a Hunter to charm up to 80% of his chararacter level, rounded down. However, the last versions of each animal/insect charm spell (at 32 and 35 spec respectively) are not 80%, but 82%, explaining the jump when higher level Hunters are able to charm 1 level higher than they expected.
Confirmed data to support this includes:
Level 11, Beastcraft 6, level 8 insect (level 7 animal due to outdated charm spell)
Level 11, Beastcraft 7, level 8 pet
Level 17, Beastcraft 17, level 13 pet
Level 19, Beastcraft 18, level 15 pet
Level 20, Beastcraft 19, level 16 pet
Level 21, Beastcraft 20, level 16 pet
Level 22, Beastcraft 23, level 17 pet
Level 23, Beastcraft 24, level 18 pet
Level 44, Beastcraft 35, level 36 pet
Level 47, Beastcraft 43, level 38 pet
Level 48, Beastcraft 43, level 39 pet
Level 49, Beastcraft 43, level 40 pet
Level 50, Beastcraft 35, level 41 pet
Level 50, Beastcraft 43, level 41 pet"
DO use Thrusting pets against Chain, Furry Animals, Fleshy Undead, Reptiles, Troll-like creatures and Ice Elementals. DO NOT count on Thrusting pets (or arrows) against Bony Undead, Tree/Plant creatures, any other form of Undead, Leather or Studded Leather (esp not Bony Undead!). For RvR, Thrust does extra damage to Albions Studded Leather and Chain, but is penalized against Albions Plate and Leather. All Hibernian armor types are neutral to Thrusting damage.
DO use Slashing pets against Fleshy Undead, Furry Animals, Leather, Tree/Plant or Troll-like creatures (esp Tree/Plants). DO NOT count on Slashing pets (or arrows) against Chain, Reptiles or any Elemental creatures. For RvR, Slashing does extra damage to Hibernias Scale armor, but is penalized against their Leather and Reinforced armor. All Albion armor types are neutral to Slashing damage.
DO use Crushing pets against Bony Undead, Earth and Ice Elementals, Plate, Shell / Chitin or Studded Leather armors (esp Bony Undead). DO NOT count on Crushing pets (or arrows) against Fleshy Undead, Troll-like creatures, Air, Fire or Water Elementals. For RvR, Crushing attacks do extra damage to Albions Plate and Leather, and Hibernias Leather and Reinforced, but are penalized versus Hibernian Scale and Albions Studded Leather and Chain.
Crushing, Slashing and Thrusting attacks all are at -15% vs Incorporeal Undead and creatures composed of Light Energy or Magical Energy, so they all suck equally there.
Norse Studded armor is said to be resistant to Thrusting damage, but vulnerable to Slashing damage, so in PvE or RvR, it may help to target foes using Slashing attacks.
Hunter Specific Pet Guide:
Nisse's Lair Tomte Warhound 9 (FA, Thrust, Evade 1%, Social / linked to Tomte Handlers (10th)) Cave Spider 13-14 (Shell, Slash) Poisonous Cave Spider 15, 17 (Shell, Slash, poisonous) Cursed Tomb Mad Rat 22 (FA, Thrust) Draugr Hound 23-24 (FA, Thrust, Social / linked to Draugr Commander (24-25?)) Cave Crab 19-21 (Shell, Thrust, 20% secondary Slash attack) Corpse Crawler 21-23 (Shell, Slash) Dungeon Crab 20-22 (Shell, Slash, 20% secondary Slash attack) Dungeon Chitin 22-23 (Shell, Thrust) Spindelhalla Hallaratta 36-38 (FA, Thrust) Spindel 37 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Spindel Silkster 39 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Spindel Layer 41 (Shell, Thrust, Calls for help) Stinger 37-39 (Shell, Slash, 6% secondary Thrust, some are aggro, some are not) Terra Crab 38-40 (Shell, Slash, 4% secondary Slash, some are aggro, some are not) Arachite Tunnelhost 36-37 (Shell, Thrust) Arachite Vakt 37-38 (Shell, Thrust, 1% secondary Thrust) Arachite Impaler 37-39 (Shell, Thrust, 1% secondary Thrust) Arachite Husker 38-39 (Shell, Thrust) Arachite Prelate 38-40 (Shell, Thrust) Arachite Krigare 40 (Shell, Thrust, 5% secondary Thrust) Vendo Caverns Small Cave Mauler 18 (FA, Slash) Cave Bear 20-23 (FA, Slash) Cave Mauler 20-22 (FA, Slash) Albino Cave Mauler 25 (FA, Slash) Spider 25-28 (Shell, Slash) Varulvhamn Werewolf Churl? 34 (FA/Leather, Slash, Social) Gotar / Ft Atla / Nalliten (Starting Kobold Hunters) Coastal Wolf 3 (FA, Thrust) Smeira-Gatto 4 (FA, Slash, Evade 2%) Rugged Dwarven Pony 4 (FA, Crush) Wee Wolf 5 (FA, Thrust, Evade 1%) Wolfhound 6 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2, Social) Tawny Lynx 8 (FA, Slash, 1% secondary Slash, Evade 5%) Carrion Crawler 6 (Shell, Thrust, 10% secondary Slash) Carrion Eater 7 (Shell, Thrust, 10% secondary Slash) Rock Crab 7 (Shell, Slash, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 5%) Spindly Rock Crab 9 (Shell, Slash, 3% secondary Slash, Evade 15%) Vale of Mularn / Mularn / Haggerfel (Starting Dwarf Hunters) [Rabid Wolfhounds appear to be immune to Hunter charms.] Small Hit Cat 7 (FA, Slash, 3% secondary Slash, Evade 10%) Hill Cat 10 (FA, Slash, Evade 2%) Vein Spider 5 (Shell, Thrust) Wolf Spiderling 7 Wood Eater Worker 4 (Shell, Thrust, Call for help) Wood Eater Hunter 5 (Shell, Thrust, Evade 2%, Call for help) Wood Eater Soldier 6 (Shell, Thrust, 20% secondary Thrust) Wood Eater Alate 7 (Shell, Thrust, Evade 5%, Call for help) [rarely a charmed Wood Eater will call for help, and others will come to assist during a close fight, particularly if the Queen is around. Sometimes she'll steal exp, other times she may save your butt] Vasudheim / East Svealand / Audliten / Dvalin (Starting Norse Hunters) Smeira-Gatto 4 (FA, Slash, Evade 2%) Rugged Dwarven Pony 4 (FA, Crush) Black Mauler Juvenile 5 (FA, Crush) Sveawolf Mother 5 (FA, Thrust, Social) Plague Rat 6-7 Small Hit Cat 7 (FA, Slash, 3% secondary Slash, Evade 10%) Hill Cat 10 (FA, Slash, Evade 2%) Army Ant Worker 6 (Shell, Thrust, Calls for help) Army Ant Soldier 8 (Shell, Thrust, 4% secondary Thrust, Social) Rock Crab 7 (Shell, Slash, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 5%) Spindly Rock Crab 9 (Shell, Slash, 3% secondary Slash, Evade 15%) Myrkwood / Galplen / Gna Faste Black Mauler Juvenile 5 (FA, Crush) Tawny Lynx 8 (FA, Slash, 1% secondary Slash, Evade 5%) Grey Worg 10 (FA, Thrust, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 3%, Social) Ridgeback Worg 11, 13 (FA, Thrust, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 3%, Social) Sharpfang Worg 12, 14 (FA, Thrust, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 3%, Social) Dark Hound 17-18 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%) Arachite Greensilk 5 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Carrion Crawler 6 (Shell, Thrust, 10% secondary Slash) Carrion Eater 7 (Shell, Thrust, 10% secondary Slash) Corpse Eater 11, 13 (Shell, Slash) Tingler 12 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Arachite Childer 14 Arachite Priest 15-16 (Shell, Thrust, Calls for help, rarely heals, spams weak AF buff that conflicts with Hunter AF buff, casts poison dot and / or root, usually linked to a second Priest, another type of Arachite or a Great Tingler) Arachite Shadowslinker 13, 15 (Shell, Thrust, 1% secondary Thrust, Evade 2%, Calls for help) Arachite Weblasher 14, 16 (Shell, Thrust, 5% secondary Thrust, Evade 2%, Calls for help, procs insta-root) Great Tingler 16, 18 (Shell, Thrust, Social, often linked to another Great Tingler or Arachite Priest) Death Spider 18 (Shell, Thrust, 2% secondary Thrust, Evade 5%, poison) West Svealand / Huginfell Sveawolf Mother 5 (FA, Thrust, Social) Blodfelag Warhound 10 (FA, Thrust, Evade 1%, Social, linked to 2 to 3 powerful Blodfelag) Large Sveawolf 11 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%, Social) Grass Cat 11-12 (FA, Slash, 1% secondary Slash, Evade 3%) Ribbon Toad 12-13 (Soft, Crush) Bloodthirsty She-Wolf 12 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%, Social) Black Mauler 12-14 (FA, Crush, 5% secondary Crush) Sveawolf Packleader 14 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%, Social, linked to 4 to 7 other wolves) Savage Lynx 15-16 (FA, Slash, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 7%, superhigh aggro) Rabid Sveawolf 18 (FA, Thrust) Frothing Sveawolf 19 (FA, Thrust, Social) Frosty Colt 20 (FA, Crush, Social) Chiseler 20 (Shell, Thrust) Muspelheim Noxious Hound 24, 26 (Reptile, Thrust, Evade 1%, Social) Firecat 24, 26 (Reptile, Slash, 2% secondary Slash, Evade 2%) Fire Toad 27 (Reptile, Crush) Nocuous Hound 29 (Reptile, Thrust, Evade 3%) Soot Harvester 20, 22 (Shell, Thrust, 2% secondary Slash) Sulpher Crab 20, 22 (Shell, Thrust, 2% secondary Slash) Fire Ant Scavenger 20 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Fire Ant Gatherer 21 (Shell, Thrust, Social, rarely procs fire DD?) Fire Ant Worker 22 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Skona Ravine Grey Worg 10 (FA, Thrust, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 3%, Social) Black Mauler 12-14 (FA, Crush, 5% secondary Crush) Giant Tree Frog 20-21 (Soft, Crush) Woodland Badger 22-23 (FA, Slash, 2% secondary Thrust) Wood Rat 24-25 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%) Brush Cat 26-27 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%) Young Wolverine 28-29 (FA, Slash, 4% secondary Slash, Social) Callow Wolverine 30-31 (FA, Slash, 6% secondary Slash, Call for help) Timberland Badger 32-33 (FA, Slash, 3% secondary Thrust) Battle-scarred Mauler 34-35 (FA, Crush, 6% secondary Crush) Timber Cat 36-37 (FA, Slash, 9% secondary Slash, Evade 3%) Wolverine 39-40 (FA, Slash, 2% secondary Slash, Evade 2%, Social) Great Tingler 16, 18 (Shell, Thrust, Social) [teams of Hunters occasionally go here to pull werewolves, bringing only 16th level Arachite Priests as pets, despite being in their high 30s and low 40s, counting on the low heals to eliminate downtime] Raumarik White Wolf 28-31 (FA, Thrust, Social) Malmohus Scaled Varg Yearling 25, 27, 29, 31 (FA/Reptile, Thrust, 1% secondary Thrust, Evade 1%) Scaled Varg Snarler 34, 36 (FA/Reptile, Crush) Uppland White Wolf 27-31 (FA, Thrust, Social) Frost Hound 30-31 (FA, Thrust) Taiga Cat 32-33 (FA, Slash, 3% secondary Slash) Torpor Worm 37 (Reptile, Crush) Giant Snowcrab 33-34 (Shell, Slash, 1% secondary Slash) Yggdra Forest Frosty Colt 20 (FA, Crush, Social) White Wolf 27-31 (FA, Thrust, Social) Sleigh Horse 30 (FA, Crush) Frost Hound 30-31 (FA, Thrust) Taiga Cat 32-33 (FA, Slash, 3% secondary Slash) Torpor Worm 37 (Reptile, Crush) Great Lynx 39-42 (FA, Slash, 3% secondary Slash) Frosty Scuttlebug 23-24 (Shell, Slash) Chiseler 20-24 (Shell, Thrust) Giant Snowcrab 33-34 (Shell, Slash, 1% secondary Slash) Thidranki Red Wolfhound 10-13 (FA, Thrust, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 1%) Moor Wolf 14 (FA, Slash, Social) Giant Wolf 15-16 (FA, Slash) Large Red Wolfhound 17 (FA, Thrust, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 1%) Giant Spider 6-8 (Shell, Thrust) Large Bloated Spider 13-14 (Shell, Thrust?, Social?) Cliff Spiderling 14 (Shell, Thrust, Social) Death Spider 18 (Shell, Thrust, 2% secondary Thrust, Evade 5%) Murgaigean Water Badger 21 (FA, Slash) Ire Wolf 25-27 (FA, Thrust, Evade 1%, Social) Rage Wolf 31-32 (FA, Thrust, Evade 1%, Social) Large Bloated Spider 13-14 (Shell, Thrust?, Social?) Death Spider 18 (Shell, Thrust, 2% secondary Thrust, Evade 5%) Corpse Crawler 22-23 (Shell, Slash) Spider 25-27 (Shell, Slash) Caledonia Black Mauler 12-14 (FA, Crush, 5% secondary Crush) Savage Lynx 15-16 (FA, Slash, 5% secondary Slash, Evade 7%) Giant Wolf 15-17 (FA, Slash) Dark Hound 17-18 (FA, Thrust, Evade 2%) Huge Boar 18-19 (FA, Slash, Social) Lone Wolf 20 (FA, Slash)