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Hunter
From wow.incgamers.com
Contents |
Background
The World of Warcraft is a wild land. Between the towering cities are vast landscapes of untamed wilderness, and beasts from all corners of the imagination. An experienced Hunter can tame even the most horrifying of beasts, the hunter is most comfortable within these isolating lands and their fellow animal companion. A creature of the land, the Hunter is an adventurer and explorer with keen knowledge of beasts, deadly aim, and quick light reflexes. Within the world of Azeroth, across any faction borders, the hunter is the balancing force in the wilderness. Some protect, some cleanse, and some dominate. Which will you be, if not all?
Introduction
The skills and abilities of Hunters are defined by the land. Perhaps most uniquely, they are masters of animals and their ways. Beyond simply tracking and taming, Hunters can often to have befriended a beast of the wild. From raptors to zebra striped unicorns, from tigers to spiders, each bond unique. Guiding or commanding his pet, the two will travel and battle together. A Hunter will only ever be found with one creature by his side, and as hunters invest time and energy into their pets, they grow stronger and more knowledgeable along with their masters. The land of Azeroth will offer a Hunter the opportunity to search far and wide for new and curious beasts to adapt to as easily as the seasons change.
Hunters are light fast warriors that shun the heaviest armor. Their agility and training afford them many defensive maneuvers to keep out of reach of a deadly axe or sword and they make use of a large variety of weapons in either or both hands. To survive in the wild, Hunters have learned to be the masters of deadly shots with bows or guns, as well as expert trappers. Their swiftness and expertise with ranged weapons is a sight to be seen. And their abilities only further the effectiveness of such weapons.
Hunters also often learn the skills to be self sufficient, and can often do tasks alone that would require many people. They bring the World of Warcraft alive with their diversity of companions, ways, and personalities. They are a wonder support for communities and groups of all kinds.
Available in which Races & their Racial Bonuses
Alliance
Dwarves
Stoneform - active
While active, grants immunity to Bleed, Poison, and Disease effects. In addition, Armor increases by 10%. Lasts 8 sec.
Gun Specialization - passive
Your chance to critically hit with Guns is increased by 1%.
Frost Resistance - passive
Reduces the chance you will be hit by Frost spells by 2%.
Find Treasure - passive
Allows the dwarf to sense nearby treasure, making it appear on the minimap. Lasts until cancelled.
Night Elves
Shadowmeld - instant - 2 min cooldown
Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Any threat is restored versus enemies still in combat upon cancellation of this effect.
Elusiveness - passive (Rogue/Druid only)
Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while Shadowmelded or Stealthed.
Quickness - passive
Reduces the chance that melee and ranged attackers will hit you by 2%.
Wisp Spirit - passive
Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing speed by 75%.
Nature Resistance - passive
Reduces the chance you will be hit by Nature spells by 2%.
Horde
Blood Elf
Arcane Affinity - passive
Enchanting skill increased by 10.
Arcane Torrent - instant - 2 min cooldown - (Hunters/Paladins/Mages/Priests/Warlocks only)
Silence all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec and restores 5 + 1/Level% of your Mana.
Arcane Torrent - active - (Rogue only)
Silences all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec and restores 15 of your Energy.
Arcane Torrent - active - (Deathknight only)
Silences all enemies within 8 yards for 2 sec and restores 15 Runic Power.
Magic Resistance - passive
Reduces the chance you will be hit by spells by 2%.
Orc
Blood Fury - instant - 2 min cooldown (Death Knight/Warrior/Rogue/Hunter only)
Increases attack power by (Level*4)+2 per character level (322 at 80). Lasts 15 sec.
Blood Fury - instant - 2 min cooldown (Shaman only)
Increases melee attack power by (Level*4)+2 and your spell power by (Level*2)+3. Lasts 15 sec.
Blood Fury - instant - 2 min cooldown (Warlock only)
Increases your spell power by (Level*2)+3. Lasts 15 sec.
Hardiness - passive
Duration of Stun effects reduced by an additional 15%.
Command - passive
Damage dealt by Death Knight, Hunter and Warlock pets increased by 5%.
Axe Specialization - passive
Expertise with Axes and Two-Handed Axes increased by 5.
Tauren
War Stomp - instant - 0.5 sec cast - 2 min cooldown
Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yds for 2 sec.
Endurance - passive
Base Health increased by 5%
Cultivation - passive
Base Health increased by 5%
Nature Resistance - passive
Reduces the chance you will be hit by Nature spells by 2%.
Troll
Berserking - active
Activate to increase attack and casting speed for 10 seconds. Speed is raised by 10% at full health, increasing as health is lost to a maximum bonus of 30%. 3 minute cooldown.
Regeneration - passive
Increase health regeneration bonus by 10%. Also allows 10% of normal health regen during combat.
Beast Slaying - passive
5% damage bonus to Beasts.
Throwing weapon specialization - passive
Increase Throwing Weapon skill by 5.
Bow specialization - passive
Increase Bow skill by 5.
Resources
List of all the resources that Hunters can use (some training at a Weapon Master might be required) and their primary stats.
| Category | Usability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Resources | ||
| Health | Yes | A Hunter would rather not get hit, but health is important to anyone living in a dangerous world.. |
| Energy | No | N/A |
| Mana | Yes | Hunters use Mana to power up their ranged shots with magical properties, and to power up traps for their foes. |
| Rage | No | N/A |
| Primary statistics | ||
| Strength | Not important. | Strength is'nt very important for the average Hunter. |
| Agility | Important | Agility is the most important stat for a Hunter, as it helps them do more damage, get more critical hits as well as avoiding attacks from monsters and players. |
| Stamina | Important | Health recived from Stamina is always important, even if it might not be the primary goal for a Hunter. |
| Intellect | Important | A Hunter needs mana to be able to use his special abilities so Intellect is needed, but isn't his primary stat. |
| Spirit | Not Important | Spirit is not used by Hunters in general. |
| Other Bonuses | For Damage | Crit Rating, Attack Power, MP5 |
| Other Bonuses | For Survivability | Dodge Rating, Parry Rating |
| Armor Types | ||
| Cloth | Yes | Hunters don't use Cloth. |
| Leather | Yes | Hunters use Leather up to lvl 40. Rarely after lvl 40. |
| Yes | Hunters use Mail from lvl 40. | |
| Plate | No | Hunters can't use Plate. |
| 1-Handed Melee Weapons | ||
| 1-Handed Axes | Yes | N/A |
| Daggers | Yes | N/A |
| Fist Weapons | Yes | N/A |
| 1-Handed Maces | NO | N/A |
| 1-Handed Swords | Yes | N/A |
| 2-Handed Melee Weapons | ||
| 2-Handed Axes | Yes | N/A |
| 2-Handed Maces | NO | N/A |
| Polearms | Yes | N/A |
| Staves | YES | N/A |
| 2-Handed Swords | Yes | N/A |
| Offhand Equipment | ||
| Shields | No | N/A |
| Weapons | Yes | A Hunter can dual wield weapons. |
| Ranged Weapons | ||
| Bows | Yes | Primary weapon of Elves, Trolls and Orcs. |
| Crossbows | Yes | Primary weapon of Draenei. |
| Guns | Yes | Primary weapon of Dwarves and Tauren. |
| Thrown | Yes | N/A |
| Wands | No | N/A |
| Class Specific | ||
| Idol | No | N/A |
| Libram | No | N/A |
| Totem | No | N/A |
Abilities
General
Hunters are at their prime in ranged combat where they can stand still, but they also have a wide variety of other skills to complement and making them flexible in virtually any situation.
Melee Combat
Hunters aren't very strong in melee combat. It's the type of combat that should be avoided whenever possible. Though, through the use of many different melee weapon types and dual wielding possibility, they can use their melee abilities to finish off enemies or slow them down while getting back to ranged combat.
Ranged Combat
Ranged combat is where hunters shine in their expertise. They master large variety of ranged attacks and can easily adapt to facing different kinds of enemies. They can attack multiple targets at once as well as launch area of effect attacks. When focusing on a single target, hunters are strong pullers and can Sting their targets with Mana drain, damage over time or debuffs. Hunter's Mark is their trump card in all situations. Hunters can place it on their targets, making them visible to hunters even through stealth and invisibility as well as trackable from mini-map. By placing their mark on a target, hunters can point out their next target to the whole group, since the Ranged Attack Power of all attackers will be increased against that target.
Pet
Hunters can tame almost any kinds of normal or elite bests, however elites will lose their bonus hit points in the process. Hunters can name their pets and take them to Stables if they wish to keep a few for later use, since hunters can be accompanied by only one pet at the time. Hunters can call their pets whenever they need them, heal them through a magicall spell during combat and revive (not during combat) or dismiss them whenever it's needed. If fed properly, pets will remain happy and able to do their full damage in battles. If not, they will start to lose their strength and will eventually abandon their hunters or even attack them.
Perhaps the most powerful feature in pets is to be able to increase hunters' knowledge in beast abilities. Making them able to train new pets with abilities of previous, different kinds of pets.
See a list of available types of Hunter pets here, which includes food they eat, types of combat and special abilities.
Beast Spells
Hunters' Beast Spells provide lots of help in many situations. Through Beast Lore they can evaluate all beasts that come across in the wilderness and make their decisions whether or not those possess qualities that hunters might need in their pets. Damage output, health amount, armor, possible resistances, and diet are some of those attributes they can find out by just observing the animal from afar. Before entering the unknown hunters can observe its possible dangers with their Eagle Eye vision. And when things get tough with animals, they can scare a beast to give them some space for the use of ranged abilities or time to prepare before facing that beast again.
Aspects
Hunters can find a great asset in many animal aspects, though they can relate to only one aspect at the time. When relating to animal aspects they can sneak around the wilderness tracking down any animals that they need to find, have superior dodging ability in battles or fast movement speed whenever it's needed and share it with their whole group if they wish so.
Traps
Hunters are skilled in making several different types of traps, which increase their importance as a pulling class. Traps can be enemy specific or area of effect, and do direct damage, damage over time or slowing effects, whichever suits the situation best. Only one trap can be placed at the time and the hunter must be out of combat to be able to set it up and pull the target straight into it.
Other Abilities
Hunters have many special abilities, which accomplish their combat skills as well as help them stay alive in tough battles. While Rapid Fire enables them to significantly increase their attack speed, Flare will expose all hiding and invisible enemies near the hunter. By feigning their death Hunters can save themselves from a certain death, and with Disengage they can cancel their combat stance and trick the enemy to turn away from them. This is especially useful when managing the monster aggro between the Hunter and its pet.
Specialisation
The Hunter is among the best "solo classes", being able to conquer almost any encounter with the help of his aim and his trusted companion pet. The Hunter can specialise in improving his pet, his ranged damage abilities or his abilities to incapacitating others and staying alive with his choices of talents.
General Strengths
- Swift and powerful ranged fight with great pulling
- Great management of their threat levels against monsters.
- Special beast crowd control abilities
- Can use various beast special abilities through their pets
- Beast tracking, which also makes them untrackable
- Fast personal running and party running abilities
General Weaknesses
- Melee combat, since they specialize in ranged fight
- Can't take great amounts of damage since they can initially wear only leather armor
- Unable to heal themselves
Beast Master
A Beast Master Hunter have additional strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths
- Great augumention of the pet, adding utility and damage.
- Good for leveling.
- Ferocious Inspiration (Damage buff even useful to spell casters, but dependant on pet)
- More Rapid attacks with Seperant Swiftness.
Weaknesses
- Less usefull in places where a pet can not be used.
- Lower survivability than a Survivalist.
- Lower ranged damage than a Marksman.
Important Beast Mastery Talents
- List of the most important Beast Mastery talents.
Important Beast Master Stats
- List of the most important Beast Mastery talents.
Ranged Damage - Marksmanship
A Marksmanship Hunter have additional strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths
- Increased the ranged damage for the Hunter.
- Less dependant on the pet.
- True Shot Aura (Attack power buff)
Weaknesses
- Less powerful pet than a Beast Master.
- Less survivability than a Survivalist.
- Dependancy on ranged makes the "dead zone" a bigger problem.
Important Marksmanship Talents
- List of the most important Marksmanship talents.
Important Marksmanship Stats
- List of the most important Marksmanship talents.
Traps Master - Survival
A Survivalist Hunter have additional strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths
- Increased capability for survival.
- Better traps and crowd control.
- Somewhat better melee combat skills.
Weaknesses
- Less powerful pet than a Beast Master.
- Lower ranged damage than a Marksman.
Important Survival Talents
- List of the most important Survival talents.
Important Survival Stats
- List of the most important Survival talents.
Essential Quests
Beast Training (lvl 10)
- First Quest for Draenei (Beast Training)
- First Quest for Dwarves (Training the Beast)
- First Quest for Night Elves (Training The Beast)
- First Quest for Blood Elves (Beast Training)
- First Quest for Orcs & Trolls (Training the Beast)
- First Quest for Taurens (Training the Beast)
Endgame Roles
If you are interested in playing a Paladin, and continue to play after you reach the maximum experience level of 70, it can be good to know a bit about what you can expect for the huge part of the game that takes place after the leveling is completed. While a hunter mroe or less can level up to 70 on his or her own, including many group quests, thanks to the Hunters pet, things change slightly at lvl 70 if you want to do other things than killing "outdoor" monsters. For group instances and raiding instances, you are required to play with others, and work as a part of a team. Over all, the main thing that a hunter is required to bring to a party or raid is his ability to do damage, and also to be able to catch enemies in traps, or use his pet as an offtank. Hunters are excellent pullers, and can with Misdirection make sure that the tank gets the aggro from the starte of the fight.
2.1.3
The Hunter is slightly less powerful today that he have been in the past, but as Blizzard is looking over the classes for minor changes, this could very well shift to the Hunter's advantage sooner or later.
Mainly Beast Master Specc
A Beast Master Hunter can be very useful in instance groups, where the need for flexibility and fast thinking is of outmost importance. Unfortunately, a stereotype which was more true in preTBC raiding of a pet being a potential problem in a raid is still exists.
Mainly Marksmanship Specc
A Marksmanship Hunter can deal out good ranged damage and add attack power to melee fighters in the raid.
Mainly Survival Specc
A Survivalist Hunter is best used in a party, where his flexible uses are at it's highest importance. Augumented traps and survivability for the Hunter himself gives him a great edge.
Starting Statistics
Below are the starting stats and attributes of the Hunter. Hunters can learn to use other weapons at a Weapon Master.
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Further Hunter Reading & Resources
- Hunter Item Sets
- Forum to talk with other Hunters
- Hunter Skills
- Hunter Talents
- List of Hunter Trainers
- Quests for Hunters
- Hunter Item Sets
- Hunter Guides
- Hunter UIs/Mods
- Hunter Patch History
