The Talented Hunters

[Eruadan]

I would just like to perhaps start a topic that I have never really been discussed in detail but I would like to first of ask:

What are your thoughts on hunter talents?

What talent tree do you feel is better? and Why?

Do you prefer Hybrid Talents (Tree Mixing) or Focus on one Tree only?

This is just a few questions I hope to get the thought process flowing but I hope to get from this some insight for members who are hunters or members who are thinking of starting hunters.

This is a free forum I hope for all your thoughts and Ideas...this is not a place for bashing other peoples talent specs. I hope not to see any arguing in here (if this kicks off at all). This is a place for you to express your ideas and hopefully provide some valubale information for those that choose to pursue this exiciting (and best ) class.

Have fun and I hope you all get some valuble insight from this.

[Guest]

Hunters have very strong talents at the bottom of their trees, so I don't think I would ever really consider a true hybrid. BM is very very nice for soloing, particularly with the recent changes to mend pet. I've never played a BM to late game though, so I have no idea how well the pet holds aggro with an outland equipped hunter dishing out the DPS. Marksman is very nice if you're paired with an aggro magnet. My latest hunter runs with a protection paladin and we pull groups of 5 or 6 on a regular basis and I dish out enough damage to kill them before he runs out of mana. And I have absolutely zero knowledge of survival, never done it, no inclination to try it.

[Cloudjumper]

Right now Grym is specced 40/11/0, I took just enough Marks talents to get Aimed Shot and then the rest into Beast Mastery.

I find BM is really great for solo and small group play, you never have to worry about a tank and you can grind at a pretty steady rate with little down time. I have done a full Marks build before and while you can put out a lot of damage I didn't like it to do my usual PvE stuff. Never done a Survival build but might get bored one of these days...

[Guest]

And to make full use of BM you really have to go with a pet that actually has a full set of skills.



*mutters at blizzard for not giving spiders anything yet*

[Cloudjumper]

Not really, Mangle being a hyena doesn't have any special skills and he is a great tank. It really depends on how you want to use the pets, if you want a tank then a DPS pet isn't the best idea, etc. I have used pets of all the other classes and still I find for PvE stuff a generalist pet like a wolf/hyena/carrion work about the best. Ultimately though I find I like Mangle best not because of his stats or his abilities but because he doesn't look like the other 10000 cats/wolves people seem to haul around.

[Guest]

Hyena doesn't get dash?


It just seems kind of silly to go down that tree and not pick up the boost to their energy recharge.

And I know my spider never uses all of his energy as it is. Why the heck a spider wouldn't have the same poison skill scorpids have with a different name is beyond me.

[Cloudjumper]

Oh yeah he gets dash, I was just talking about specials like Gore or poison.

[Eruadan]

Well since I started this I might as well dole out what I know/understand about my tree and others' specs.

As most of you know I spec'd survival...have always been survival. Survival tree on a whole is highly underappreciated from my experience. At one point I spec'd into to the other trees...(solely) but that was short lived (maybe for about an hour each tree) as I didnt find either of them appealing to the kind of gameplay I was looking for.

From my point of view I understand that hunters are a ranged class but I dont find any entertainment in sending a pet in and pushing the autoshot button and basically walk away since everything is automated for me. Survival though allows me to delve into a more unique way to play a hunter.

What some of you dont know...is that I have ALL of my talent points in Survival. I love this tree...it gives me loads of options, and makes me a gigantic pain in the rear for most other classes. This also gives me an opportunity to play a hunter more in melee combat. I have tried a hybrid with BM which worked alot but in the end I found that all my points in survival would make me truly unique and I like what the talents do for me. Attempting melee for a hunter, it allows me to use my traps often...which increases the damage I do...as well as its easy for me to swap agro with my pet if I need to step back and bandage up or run.

My views on the other Trees, well...hunters in either BM or MM.....STUPIDLY powerful...either on of those classes can total me in combat...BM...that gives you a reason to target the pet...those things will kill you...fast...MM...I have a better time with them but trying to get into their melee range is a pain and they have hit me in the 3k mark before...some even higher which I dont even know if its possible or not. If your either one of those or hybrid in one of those trees....you scare me...and I wouldnt wanna pvp against you because I would lose lol.

Anyways...time to go back to work...keep the posts comin as I am sure alot of people can benefit from this.

[Cloudjumper]

I am curious how you find melee combat with a hunter? I have noticed that I don't tend to last near as long in combat as my pet can. Also it seems I tend to do a fair bit more damage from range than I do in melee. What are the benefits to being a Melee/Survival hunter?

[Guest]

I'd like to know this as well. My hunters all have 1/4 of their max melee weapon skill and I've always considered a hunter that is meleeing to have failed at being a good hunter. Is it actually viable? Does the DPS stand up to the bow skills?

[Eruadan]

Bah....I just spent 45 minutes replying to you guys and I got some error on the page when I tried to preview....I will get back to you guys when I am not at work

[Guest]

Preview feature seems to be broken so it isn't you.

[Eruadan]

Yes a melee hunter is viable but only to a certain extent. When I was solely Survival (I just respec'd no longer 61p survival) you dont get some of the great benefits that BM can add to your true survivability in melee combat. And ultimately you will always do more ranged than melee....however numbers wise...dual wielding the total damage I can do with my two weapons is slightly higher than ranged damage....not sure how the numbers really work though.

You need to realize that its not just you in melee combat...its you AND your pet. To have the ability to swap your agro between you and your pet is something no other class I believe has.

Stamina and Agility are your best friends to make this possible...(With my Items I have a total of 10808hp)...Items ...of the Bandit are great Items as they appeal to all things you could want to help your melee attacks stronger. Unfortunately Hunters only have 4 melee attacks...with some points into survival you get 5 melee attacks...but dont forget you have 3 added attacks that are now available for you to use in combat...yes thats traps...they are your friends...and you will have to learn to use them if your to come close to surviving a battle in melee. Traps are under used for a ranged hunter...but are used alot by me...depending on what I am doing I can deal a significant amount of damage added on top of my attacking.

Ideally...Dual wielding is best for constant damage...and you want fast weapons...they are best for this kind of thing I have learned. If your going to ranged combat...its ok to use a 2h weapon if its going to increase your ranged damage output.

So...being a melee hunter in a 5 man group...probably not wise but I have done it before and it does matter what your fighting but your a hunter, Ranged is best for you. Raid's....Ranged only...or you will die from the power of your enemies.

PvP...depends on who your fighting...if your fighting the greasy nerd who has made his purpose in life to play this game....your gonna die regardless so do anything to make his life a pain...If your fighting an average player then its possible for you to melee them to death...I have killed a few warriors (and feral droods) in my day with melee combat...as well as rogues and quite a few clothies....Hunters...they are a pain cause your fighting two characters at once...but I have been able to hack quite a few cause they cant melee worth a damn. All this depends on how your opponent is geared...you need to have alot of health....and the Agility helps alot with your armour rating and attack power as well as your crit chance so anything ...of the Monkey or ...of the Bandit is the best way to go...even if they arent blue..they are good pieces of armour in my mind that I have chosen over many blues.

PvE...totally possible...you have total control of what your doing and the ability to control several mobs if you need to.

I have attached a link to my Talent build to share with you all since the Armory is kinda slow...have a look and you can get an idea of what I am going for...

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/clas...2313501000

Hope this explained how I pull some of it off.