What do mage focus items actually do other then size?
 

I don't notice a level or damage difference, do they do anything other then make the pet bigger?

More hp.

http://www.project1999.com/forums/sh...ge+focus+items

this i guess

I know this not to be true, i have been playing around with a low lvl mage on and off in past month.
The lvl 24 air pet hits for between 18-26, i cast a few with broom in hand and it made a green pet(i was lvl 28 at the time i think.) And it hit for 18,i actually thought it was a broken broom:D
Until i read that thread,which states the broom gives extra hp to bring it to par with earth pet and stats but not sure on stats tbh.

Maybe a high lvl pro mage can pipe in and give answers,I'm only a nooby mage.

The link you posted is correct. Basically, without a focus, the amount of str & hp a pet has increases as you go from fire to air to water to earth

The focus items make a fire pet have the stats/hp of an air pet, and so forth up the chain, though im not 100% sure how the earth pet is affected, probably just stats as the link indicates.

It increases HP and size of pet. I believe it increasing lvls of pets to be false. I have never noticed pets hitting harder with focus items either, just higher HP.

When they revamped focus items somewhere down the line (LDoN maybe? First easily available pet focus that all classes could use) it made it so it summoned a higher than max level pet, which in turn increased all it's stats and max damage.

yeah, it doesn't change the level range just beefs up stats and hps. They are actually most important items a mage can get from 1-50+, right next to jboots so you can run away when you get adds since you have no CC.
Better pet = better mage

Real answer:

Mage quested focus give the pets new/better templates for stats, no change to level or max hit.

Mastery Staves/Encyclopedia give new/better templates for stats, with pet having a level range one higher than previously available to boot. i.e. 37-40 becomes 38-41. This results in a damage increase due to level (of 2 damage/hit).

This.