HUNTER GUIDE FROM PLOPS FOR WOTLK

PLOPS wrote this with the help of Jekuto and Megatf.

Q u o t e:

I have been working with Jekuto (a very good hunter) who has also been working with Megatf (who we all know) as to how to play hunter at it's "peak" in WotLK, and how well casual play could compete. We also discussed how well hunter peak/casual play would measure up with that of other classes.

Currently, myself in my Recorded "forays" into rated 80 arenas, was probably playing hunter at about 70% of it's potential, using about 43 bindings.

Here are the things hunters are required to do, in order to truly be playing the class at "peak" arena potential. For some this might be a review, for others it could be a guide. For blizzard, it should be a WARNING as to how easy it might be to play other classes at a reasonable level of arena effectiveness compared to hunters:
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** Tenacity pets are a complete requirement, as RoS is simply too necessary for any hunter comp. RoS must not be ignored, and it must not be auto-fired. It must be macroed to a reaction hotkey and prioritized during perceived times of heavy incoming burst, on either the hunter or on teammates (such as using a mouseover macro)

The same goes for Intervene. This should also be keybound, and used for the hunter and teammates.

** Because of RoS's heavy use, pet health must be closely monitored. RoS will kill pets in arenas, and hunters must be pumping constant mends into pets to attempt to keep them as close to topped off as possible. Hunters and teammates must always be micromanaging pet health.

** Roots from pets are more important than even Viper masking. Root should not be auto-firing (must be keybound) and should instead be used during "clutch" times to attempt to compensate for our lack of ways to deal with our targets LoSing us. Likewise with charge, which is also paramount.

** Aspect-dancing should not be done simply when OOM. Hunters must be able to recognize when they have opportunities to fill back some mana during times when damage would not otherwise matter much. Mana management is a major issue because going OOM when opponents are vulnerable will prolong games that could have been won.

The best use of rapidfire (due to hunter's pathetic burst), may be when an opportunity to chain auto-steady's presents itself to assist with refilling mana as quickly as possible. Hunters should always be paying attention to mana effeciency because of our penalty on AotV.

** Hunters need to micro and maintain viper stings on healer or caster dps same as always because the outlast role of TBC will continue.

** Hunters need to look for opportunites to CC offensively/defensively. In order to best land our ranged baseline CC, we will need to look for opporutnities to land freezing arrow ---> compensating for it's grenade mechanic, arm time, and tiny trigger radius.

This means hunters should be spending less than 1-2 seconds mid-fight aiming a small grenade-size radius on a 1-2 second "lead" as to where they think an opponent "will be". Either that or they should be looking for the opportunity to chain freezing arrow behind leading scattershots or pet roots set up specifically so that freezing arrow can be ensured success.

** Because they have no raw %damage mitigation, invulns, or stun breaks, Hunters must compensate for low survivability with raw short-cooldown reaction time. For most builds this will mean defensive scatters, wyverns, or silences, and possibly complicated Readiness chains such as disengage + deterrence + Readiness + disengage cooldown chains similar to rogues.

** Hunters will need to be maintaining a MS effect on one target to compensate for their lack of burst, prioritizing this with all their other globals.

** Hunters must be maintaining effective trapping. They will need to make mid-fight decisions as to whether to use their trap cooldown on frosts to help teammates stay on or escape a target, or whether they have a chance in hell in landing a freeze trap instead.

Likewise hunters need to spend extra attention to consider whether or not to HOLD their scattershot cooldown to wait on their trap cooldown so that they can chain scatter + freezing trap/arrow, instead of using scattershot for other offensive or defensive use.

** MM build hunters will need to use GCD's to prep stings to make chimera shot worthwhile. This means spending a GCD to prep a very mediocre effect (scorpid) on a potential disarm target.

** All hunters must always be looking for attempts to "plant" their feet while kiting in order to make use of autoshots, the one thing that keeps us from being able to lower our GCD with haste gear like casters can.

Hunters must always be aware of their internal autoshot cooldown either by instinct or through the use of a mod to ensure maximum "on the run" autoshot DPS during any arena match.
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Hunters need to be doing all of this at once. The more of these things a casual hunter "skimps" on, the more his success and rating will suffer.

I'm going to be blunt..........with all of my prior hunter experience, I still cannot do all of the things I listed above at once. Maybe if I played enough, I would be able to much later into S5. As it stands now I am attempting to set up 48 keybinds for a MM build.

I propose this as a warning to Blizzard and casual hunters, the class is arguably the most complex to play at an equal level of success to more "casual" play by other classes.

MY HUNTER

Hunter?

Well, not able to raid as much as i like, so i am having insufficient of BOJ to get those BOJ upgrdes such as the "chicken" bow and the angelista ring

Besides the upgrades to the shoulder as per the last post "Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes", i have replaced two other items recently. One of them is a cloak - The Gladiator's Resolution to replace my Sergeant's Heavy Cloak.

Another upgrades consist of Battlemaster's Aggression replacing my old Battlemaster's Determination. Both upgrades consist of the latest addition of honor rewards prior to the wotlk.

Arena?

Well, still in the middle of collecting sufficient points for my second Brutal - Brutal Gladiator's Chain Leggings, next week should see me having enough arena points to buy it.

Now arena is a mess, too many quick kill in terms of op class such as ret pally, rogues, feral druid, mages and warrior, often people died within sec after the game start. Well, besides the fact that hunter do sucks in the arena, my pvp skills still need major polishing.

Battleground?

Well, hunter fair a little better in the bg, most of the time, i am able to sneak into the top 3 top kill. But still, Ret pally is the king.

Able to sit at CC / Lan shop with friends to play wow the other day, 6 of us, me (hunter), my brother (rogue), scyclone (Shadow priest), Notrom (Disc priest), Siaolaokoong (Rogue), Ghozt (Ret pally). We do some premade bg and having great fun to have the support and good communication while playing. Eg, fear those rogues for me, okie!!! Take the flag!!! etc

The best part is, we are able to achieve two great "achievement" 1) To win EOTS within 6 minutes 2) To win EOTS with 2000/0

It was really fun.

Finally

Whether your in retail of private, enjoy the game. Do come to retail if your condition allow. Leave me a message if u interested for an invite. Oh, almost forgot, sorry Retardin, you are getting NERF!!!

RANDOM DESPAIR

HUNTER SUCKS

Well, hunter sucks but still i pretty enjoy the fact that hunter can now tame all sort of pets with unique ability (like heroes). But still these pet is stupid and low in IQ.

Finally able to found a spec that is "playable" and fun in the current wow environment (where pally, rogue, mage, warlock will burst u down in second) my current build for 3.0.2 = 0/51/10, Marksman/Survival.

This build main damage come from aimshot (instant now), arcane shot, multishot, as well as serpeant +chimera shot combo. Together with silent shot and readiness, it provide a little burst of damage. The down part is: there is no scatter shot with this build, also, only 1 point at improve wing clip and no "point" at surefooted.

Finally maxed my leatherworking to 375. Bought "Pattern: Shoulders of Lightning Reflexes" from AH for 200 gold. But the mats is quite expensive as well, now still lack 6 more primal air and 7 wind scales. This shoulder shall replace my stupid S2 shoulder - Merciless Gladiator's Chain Spaulders. With this new shoulder,

i gain:

11 Int
50 Melee AP
37 Melee Haste
50 Ranged AP
37 Ranged Haste
26 Armor

But i lose:

5 Agi
26 Sta
14 Melee Crit
14 Ranged Crit
21 Resilience
2 Sockets

Have give up on the druid (which i mentioned i leveling), deleted the toon and leveling up a mage instead to level 12. But has been stop leveling for like 3 days, until i can find someone to recruit and leveling together (3x exp).

Also, there are going to be plenty of new buff to hunter's aimshot damage as it will be effected by Barrage and Improved Barrage in 3.0.3. As well as the new aspect of the dragonhawk. @@

LEVELING MAGE, LF MEMBER 3x EXPERIENCE

LF MEMBER

I WILL PUT MY LEVEL 10 DRUID ASIDE FOR AWHILE AFTER HAVING MORE TIME TO JUDGE ALL CLASS YESTERDAY NIGHT. THE VERDICT? PALLY WILL BE THE MOST OP ONE FOR 3.0.2, MAGE WILL BE SECOND OP BECAUSE OF DEEPFREEEZE, THEN THE THIRD WILL BE THE UNDISPUTEBLE FORMAL OP KING - ROGUE. THE REST? SUCKS (AT LEAST FOR NOW)

THEREFORE SINCE IM NOT TOO DEEP DWELL INTO MY DRUID, WHILE WAITING TO SEE WHETHER HUNTER WILL BE IMPROVE OR NOT, I NEED AN ALTERNATE TO EASE MY BORINGNESS. HEREBY I'M LOOKING FOR A MEMBER FOR LEVELING TOGETHER, PREFERABLY NEW ACCT PLAYER SO THAT WE CAN LEVEL UP TOGETHER WITH 3X EXPERIENCE. IT IS PART OF THE BLIZZARD RECRUIT A FRIEND PROGRAM, DETAIL PLS SEE HERE: CLICK HERE

I'LL SENT U AN INVITATION IF U INTERESTED. IF YOU LONG THOUGHT OF WANTING TO JUMP TO THE RETAIL WORLD, THIS IS PERHAPS YOUR CHANCE, IM NO SUPERMAN BUT, I BELIEVE 3X EXPERIENCE IS MORE THAN ENOUGH THE REASON TO TAKE THE CHANCE. NOTE: THIS IS RETAIL.

HIDDEN

LEVELING A DRUID

Pls Read

Trying to level a druid, currently level 8, sigh, gonna start the whole leveling nighmare again. I;ll try to enjoy it.

LACK OF UPDATES

WEEEEWANGWANG!!!

JUST FINISH RUSHING ASSIGNMENT ON 8 OCT AND FALLEN SICK, HIGH FEVER, VOMMIT AND CIRIT BIRIT, THATS THE REASON FOR LACK OF UPDATE, ANYWAY, NOTHING FOR ME TO UPDATE ALSO. SINCE I DOUBT ANYONE IS READING IT, LOL.

WELL I WILL ANNOUNCE MY NEW WOW CLASS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS. REROLL HERE I COME? A BOMBKIN? I LIKE BOMBKIN ALOT. MAYBE WANNA GIVE IT A TRY!!! WHAT DO U THINK? OBVIOUSLY SINCE NOBODY GONNA READ THIS AND REPLY SO, NVM, I'LL DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE MAKING DECISION.

HUNTER SUCKS

DAMM U BLIZZARD, GO TO HELL.

HUNTER SUCKS BIG TIME IN 3.0.2, I'LL GIVE MYSELF SOMETIME TO THINK ABOUT REROLL!!!

MANA PROBLEM, GCD, LOS, STUPID PET MECHANIC, NO SPELL DAMAGE MITIGATION AND MANY MORE.

AND NERF THE DAMM OP PALLY!!! PALLY 3 SWING I DIED. WTF!!!

Note: Obviously im joking, but hey 3.02 is damm disapointed. Do something pls Blizz.

MY PREFER WOTLK HUNTER BUILD 3

My Prefer Hunter WOTLK Beta Build 9038

Here is my PVP Beta Build 3 for Level 70, 0/23/38, Click here

MM Highlights:

1) 5 sec concussive shot - daze
2) + 5% critical strike chance from lethal shot
3) 100% of intellect = attack power
4) +30% critical strike damage bonus of range attack
5) +15% arcane shot damage
6) Instant aim shot, -50% healing done of target and deal some minor damage, 10 sec cd
7) +30% damage or mana drain from sting, reduced sting being dispell by 30%
8) Readiness - instance refresh of all hunter cooldown

Survival Highlights:

1) Improved tracking, +2% damage to the tracking target
2) +6 yards attack range
3) -30% movement impairing duration
4) 8% chance to entrap a target for 4 sec with all traps except frost trap
5) Wingclip - 7% chance to immobilize the target for 5 sec
6) Reduce all damage by 4% and increase crit chance of arcane, steady, explosive shot by 4%
7) +10% stamina
8) Scatter shot - 650% weapon damage and disorient (stun) the target for 4 sec
9) Reduce resist chance of feign death and all trap by 4% and reduce cd of disengage by 4sec
10) 6% chance on serpent sting periodic damage or 100% chance on traps to cause the next 2 arcane or explosive shots no cd and no mana cost
11) + attack power by 30% of stamina to both hunter himself and the pet
12) +crit chance by 3% on all attack
13) + agility by 15%
14) -mana cost of all traps and melee abilities by 60% and reduce all traps cd by 6 sec
15) Wyvern sting - sting to sleep the target for 12 sec and subsequently deal 2460 periodic damage over 6 sec


Here is my PVP Beta Build 3 for Level 80, 0/31/40, Click here

MM Highlights:

1) All the above
2) +12% damage to volley and multishot
3) +4% intellect and +4% agility
4) +2% damage deal with ranged weapon
5) +10% attack power with a 45yards radius

Survival Highlights:

1) All the above
2) Range crit have 33% chance to get +25% agility for 7 sec
3) 33% chance to regain 40% mana cost of the shot that crit

Im not a Beta tester, just merely having fun dwelling with the Beta build, hope no more further nerf; alot buffs in the coming patch tho.

Thanks for reading.