[Guide] Hunters - Survival and Beast Mastery Raiding

[Mizzypoo]

I did not write this guide, but thought it would be helpful to a lot of hunters. Credit goes to Ahoq and Blomstershot of Nihilum. Original guide can be found here.

Hello and welcome to Ahoq and Teh's hunter guide!
This guide focuses on PvE and two talent builds:

Survival (Ahoq)
Beast Master (Teh/Blomsterjohn).


I would not recommend to spec into the survival tree until you have around 600-650 unbuffed agility, before Lightning Reflexes (which will bring you to around 800 raid buffed agility).
Survival Speccs:


0-20-41

This is good for pulls. A dual Misdirection(MD) at the start of encounters gives the tank a good start on threat.
This one is not recommended if you do not have more than 40% crit fully buffed, since you will only have 2/3 in Exposed Weakness(EW) or 2/3 in Thrill of the Hunt.


6-20-35

The best dps spec for a survival hunter. You get the extra speed you need to increase your DPS. However, you do have to sacrifice and can only take 2/3 in Exposed Weakness.This spec is quite flexible, as you can switch around the points in Focused Fire, Exposed Weakness and Thrill of the Hunt to a find a balance that best suits your play-style.


Hybrid Speccs:


0-25-36

The ultimate raid buffing spec. This hybrid has all the AP buff talents, but it will sacrifice a bit of your own DPS in order to increase the DPS of the raid members.

EW brings about [Ranged + Melee on target]*[Attack Power gained from Expose Weakness]*0.3. in raid DPS.

Improved Hunter's Mark brings about [Melee on target]*[Attack power from Improved Hunter's Mark (22/44/66/88/110 depending on how many points spent in it)]*0.3 in raid DPS.

Beastmaster Speccs:


41-20-0

There is only 1 BM spec , since either way you're going to go 41 points into it and then it's very clear that you can't skip out on Mortal Shot in any spec. The only thing you should remember when putting 41 points into BM is that you'll find yourself about 1 talent short to take all the best talents and still be able to get 5/5 Mortal Shot. This is where you should only put 4 talent points into Frenzy (80% chance to Frenzy on crit instead of 100%), ending up with the ideal DPS/BM spec.

However, it's worth noting that for a future MM spec, it's not a bad choice to get 20 talents into BM (20% more pet damage). Also, it's worth adding that Improved Hunter's Mark adds 100 attack power to your pet, so don't forget that



Survival:

I usually go with AS - SS(Steady Shot) - ARC - AS - SS - AS - SS - MS - AS - SS, etc. Try to fit in Arcane shot(ARC) and Multi-Shot(MS) wherever there is time without delaying Auto Shot(AS). This uses all the abilities which might be mana heavy for newly specced Survival hunters, but it is the rotation that deals out the best damage , if you time your shoots right. If you still want to use this rotation but can't find the mana for it, use a lower rank of MS and you should be fine on the mana issue.

A little less mana heavy rotation would be AS - SS - ARC - AS - SS - AS - SS - AS - SS - ARC - AS - SS etc.
Basically the same as the one above just that you leave MS out. It costs less mana, but will also take away the damage from MS.

The least mana heavy rotation is the normal AS - SS - AS - SS spam. This is the rotation you would use if you are low on mana and are forced to use Aspect of the Viper(AotV) (Explained a bit later in the guide).

You need to have a addon that tracks your AS castbar. The addon I use for this is ZhunterMod. It's easy to set up and works like a charm.

To make sure you do not miss any AS in your rotation a good macro can come quite handy:

Standard version:

/castsequence reset=3 Auto Shot, Steady Shot
/cast Kill Command

A little better version:

#showtooltip Steady Shot
/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()
/castsequence reset=3 Auto shot, Steady shot
/cast [exists,target=pettarget] Kill Command

This macro will make sure you use a AS before you cast SS and will also try to cast Kill Command(KC) if it's available. This skill does not effect Global Cooldown(GCD) and it can be used between both the AS and SS. If you do not have it macroed, you will most likely delay your shots. The reset timer can be set to any number you want, it's the time (in seconds) when the macro is not being used before it resets to the original state (to cast Auto shot at first click).

I personally do not use the "/script UIErrorsFrame:Hide()" part of that macro, since it will remove all Error Messages, like resist on Feign Death.

Beast Master:

As a BM hunter, the only skills you're really going to use effectively are autoshot, steady shot, and serpent sting. These 3 are the only ones you need to limit yourself to and still do great. However, every encounter involves something other than just standing still and doing dps. If you have to move, you should use arcane/multi shot, since they can be used while moving. There are always different kinds of situations that will allow you to still use them regularly. The most common one is where you perhaps missed your steady macro or simply a round without steady, since they will always occur frequently. Mana wise you shouldn't have a problem at all, if you follow these guidelines (with mana oil, viper + fel mana pots, and perhaps even night dragons).



Hit rating

Hit rating is one of the most important stats. You need to reach up to the hit cap to minimize your chance to miss in a PvE environment. It depends a little on your class and spec on how much hit rating you actually need, but you will need a total of 9% extra chance to hit. You get ~0.063 hit% per hit rating linear, so if X is your hit rating you would get 0.0063*X = Your hit chance in % to reach the cap.

For a class without any + to hit racials this would mean: 142 hit rating.
For a hunter with Surefooted this would mean: 95 hit rating.
A Dranei would only need 127 hit rating or 79 if you got .

Attack Power, Critical strike rating, Agility and Mana per 5 sec.

Survival:

Your main focus in this spec is Agility and Crit rating. The more you pump up in agility the better it is for both you and your raid (due to EW).

For one point in agility , in a Survival spec, you would get something like this:

1 ag = 1 Ap and 0.025% crit (Add in Lightning Reflexes 15% extra agility)
1 ag = 1.15 ag = 1.15 Ap and 0.0288% crit (Add in Blessing of Kings 10% extra agility since we are in PvE)
1 ag = 1.265 ag = 1.265 Ap and 0.0316% crit. (Add in Survival Instincts 4% extra ap)
1 ag = 1.265 ag = 1.3156 Ap and 0.0316% crit.

If EW is procced 1 ag = 1.265 ag = 1.6318 Ap and 0.0316% crit.
So you get over 1.5 Ap per agility if you are Survival and got EW procced.

And to keep EW up as much as possible, you need to get crit rating or just more agility. A good goal to aim for at the beginning of a Survival hunter is to have around 800 raid buffed Agility (BoK and Elixir of Major Agility with 600 agility before Lightning Reflexes) and then just pick up whatever upgrades you can get through raids.

Also remember that you need a good mana pool, so don't leave out to much Intellect from your gear choices. Mana per 5 seconds is no longer a problem with the new Aspect of the Viper. If your gear has some of this stat it's a bonus, not a need.

Beast Master:

Beastmaster is the only spec that doesn't specify with one main stat (Survival=agi/crit, MM=AP.) Except , we get a fairly good trade (25% attack speed), which allows us to gear up with a nice and steady balance between AP/Crit. Capped hit is always top priority. Personally I find raising crit, in the beginning, the most beneficial, but it shouldn't really matter. With end game content, this is the point where you can start focusing more on AP, if you feel like it. Your pet scales with it, but it's really so little difference (basically from 10agi gems to 20ap gems).

Gems

You will need to meet the requirements for the [Relentless Earthstorm Diamond]. This one requires 2 of each color gem; Red, Blue, and Yellow, so make sure you have that. Blue quality gems are found all over Outlands from mobs or from mining veins. Epic quality gems are found in Mount Hyjal and in Black Temple.

These are the ones I think are the best for a hunter are:

[Shadowsong Amethyst] and [Nightseye] gems counts as Blue and Red:
[Shifting Nightseye]
[Infused Nightseye]
[Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst]
[Infused Shadowsong Amethyst]

[Crimson Spinel] and [Living Ruby] gems counts as Red:
[Delicate Living Ruby]
[Bright Living Ruby]
[Delicate Crimson Spinel]
[Bright Crimson Spinel]

[Lioneye] and [Dawnstone] gems counts as Yellow:
[Smooth Dawnstone]
[Rigid Dawnstone]
[Smooth Lionseye]
[Rigid Lionseye]

[Pyrestone] and [Noble Topaz] gems counts as Yellow and Red
[Glinting Noble Topaz]
[Glinting Pyrestone]

Survival:

As Survival you want all the agility and crit rating you can get, while still having at least 2 of each color gem.
Like explained before, 1 agility gives you more then 1.5 ap in Survival, so getting agility gems gives you close to the same amount of ap as a pure ap gem, but it also gives you some crit rating.

Beast master:

I tend to be under the impression that I should never use a socket slot for something other than ap/crit with the only exception being using 2 blue gems for the meta. So basically, the best and safest way to gem yourself is the 2 blue gems (10ap 2mp/5, max dps, priests can give you stamina) and for every Red slot with 10 agi and either 10 crit rating or 5 crit rating 10ap on yellow slots.

Enchants:

Helm: 36 ap 16 hit rating from Cenarion Circle Revered cost 90g
Shoulders: If you're Scryer 15 crit rating 20 ap. If you're Aldor 10 crit rating 30 ap.
Cloak: 12 Agility
Breastplate: 6 all stats or 150 mana or hp.
Bracers: 24 ap or 6 mp5.
Gloves: 15 Agility.
Legs: 50 ap 12 crit rating.
Boots: 12 Agility
Rings: (enchanters only): 4 all stats.
2-Handed weapon: 70 AP if you think you got enough crit (around 30% as MM or BM) or 35 agility if you need crit or are specced Surv.
1-Handed weapons: 20 Agility (or 30 Intellect if you're lacking some mana).
Ranged weapon: 28 Crit rating scope.

Trinkets:

Survival:

I would personally use [Tsunami Talisman] with [Hourglass of the Unraveller] or [Battlemaster's Cruelity]. You could get AP trinkets like [Bloodlust Brooch] or [Dragonspine Trophy] if you want that, but you are depending alot on your crits in this spec, both for dps (your own and the raid groups) and to get mana back on your shots.

[Badge of Tenacity] is not a bad choice. Some people might think this is a crazy choice, but it's quite nice buff to get an extra 200 AP and around 4,5% crit while using Rapid Fire. Sadly [Bladefist's Breadth] is still one of the best trinkets around if you can't find anything else.

[Madness of the Betrayer] is not a bad choice if you need some hit rating and a nice armor reduction chance. IIt all comes down to what you have available. Good crit or ap trinkets, both will do the job for you.

Beast Master:

First thing you do when you hit 70 is start farming badges. Get [Bloodlust Brooch] and get a [Tsunami Talisman] or a [Dragonspine Trophy], either works. These 2 are the best combination until you start reaching endgame. As soon as you reach end game content, you're suddenly going to find out that hit rating can be hard to find. Basically in the end, you're forced to get atleast [Madness of the Betrayer]. This is by far the best trinket there is and it has that little extra hit rating you need. In the far end, my choice would be [Madness of the Betrayer] and [Berserker's Call].

Consumables:

Survival uses [Elixir of Major Agility] with [Elixir of Major Mageblood] and [Warp Burger] or [Grilled Mudfish].

If you're Beast Master you use the [Flask of Relentless Assault] with either a [Ravager Dog], [Warp Burger], or [Grilled Mudfish].

You will also need [Superior Mana Oil] for your melee weapon(s) and mana/hp pots.

Plus additional resistance pots if the encounter demands it.



At the moment the list would look like this (in terms of DPS):

Cat / Raptor / Ravager Passive 10% dmg bonus Claw / Gore (Ravager only) as major dps skills.
Wind Serpent Passive 7% dmg bonus Lightning breath / Bite as major dps skills.
Owl / Bat Passive 7% dmg bonus Claw as major dps skill.
Spider 7% dmg bonus but only Bite as major dps skill.
"The rest" Passive -10%-0% dmg penalty.

Two really good sites to get lots of info about your pets are:

World of Warcraft Hunter Pet Guide | Welcome to Good Intentions!
petopia.brashendeavors.net/

Your pet get's about

~30% of your stam
~35% of your ac
~22% of your ap
~12,5% of your ap to spelldmg
~40% of your resists

Your pet really need s Rank 2 Avoidance. Get the pet's major damage skill (Claw/Gore/Lighting Breath/Bite/scorpid poison etc.) Then you should get some resists. This depends on how far you are in content. If you're at Kara / Gruul / Magtheridon , some fire and shadow resist might come handy for Netherspite, Magtheridon, Aran , and Illhoof. In SSC/TK , you need to get some fire and arcane resists for fights like Leotheras, Void Reaver, Kael'Thas, and Al'ar. In BT/Hyjal, maxing shadow resist and fire resist is a good way to go for encounters like Mother Shazzrah and Azgalor.

Survival:

I chose to use the owl mainly for it's unique ability, Screech (Bats can also learn it):

- Blasts single enemy for 33 to 61 damage and lowers the attack power of enemies in range by 210. Effect lasts 4 seconds.
-Requires pet level 64, 29 training points.

If you want to deal out more dps with your pet, you can choose another one, a cat, raptor, or ravager.

Beast Master:

Cat, cat, cat. After the scorpid nerf, there's not really much to it. Pet dmg is now str, attackpower and raw dps.



Addons

As a hunter you don't need that many addons to "have what you need" I personally go with only these:

- oRA2: A good raid addon wich allows you to set maintanks and mainassists etc.
- CooldownTimers2: A great addon to keep track on all your cooldowns, from pet cooldowns to item and skill ones.
- ZHunterMod: A great pack of hunter mods, including a auto shot cast bar, which is really needed to optimize your shotrotation.
- AspectBar: Shows a simple bar with all your aspects makes it alot easier to change em

Professions

Enchanting is somewhat useful for getting +4 stats to both your rings. If you're a hardcore Enchanter, you would also gain alot of money with this profession by just farming and disenchanting or just selling enchants to other players.

Engineering is a great "timesaver" during wipes with the [Goblin Jumper Cables XL] (if it works that is). It's also a nice way to save yourself a few gold by making your own ammo, your own guns , and also making [Healing Potion Injector] and [Mana Potion Injector] which in 2.3 not will require an engineering skill to use. It has lots of other fun gadgets and your very own flying mount.

Leatherworking is also a great profession allowing you to make your own gear. Unfortunately, the gear pieces often require alot of materials and can be quite annoying to farm. If you have the time and money, this profession will give you lots of good gear without having to raid.



Well, that’s all folks! If you've been active in the hunter thread on our forums, you probably knew most of this already.

Happy Hunting!

[fire11ball]

Very nice find. +1 Rep

[123dumbass]

very awesome find

[Slippers]

I saw this on their website last night, it's not perfect tho, TBH I was expecting a bit better from them, but it's very clear and detailed. For example, BM hunters should not go with cats as pets, they should take RAVAGERS or WINDSERPENTS. There are other small mistakes like this, but I will not state them all. If anyone needs help with their hunter, I'm always up for helping.

[Wounded]

nice i will try this with my hunter

[Smeems]

A ravager should, most the time, do more damage than a WS. It takes a lot of time, practice and luck to use the breath attack the WS is loved for, while also sacrificing some melee DPS to get it off. Just doesn't seem worth it in my opinion.

Although, they eat manna biscuits. Stupid picky ravager *grumbles* Mind you, I'm a carnivore IRL so I shouldn't be a hypocrite :P