World of Warcraft Hunters are superb damage dealers, with most of their damage coming from ranged attacks. They are often seen as heavy DPSers, standing back away from the main battle, and raining down damage from afar. This guide will explain the various aspects of playing one, and discuss tips & tricks on the best ways to leveling your Hunter.
As mentioned above, Hunters specialize in attacking from a distance. However, they also have pets that assist in both damage and managing aggro. They have the ability to track, tame, and train various beasts that are found all over the game. Their ability to deal death from afar, as well as hold their own in melee situations, have made Hunters an extremely popular class to play.
For players in the Alliance faction, there are three choices of Race to choose from; namely Night Elves, Dwarves, and the Draenei. Night Elves are often seen as the most popular class to play, as Shadowmeld is extremely useful for both PVP and PVE situations. If you are playing in Horde, you can choose between Orcs, Trolls, Taurens and Blood Elves. Be sure to play either an Orc or a Troll, as Orcs have get an extra 5% damage from pets, while Trolls have Bow Specialization, as well as the powerful Berserking ability.
Level 1 to 10 for the Hunter is jokingly referred to as the “Dark Ages”. This is because the player does not have the ability to tame a pet. First, put up a Hunter’s Mark on the enemy you want to kill. Remember that this will not aggro the mob. Start the attack with a Serpent Sting, which does damage over time (DoT), followed by an Arcane Shot as soon as possible. Once the mob is close, proceed to spam Raptor Strike, and melee it to death.
At level 10, you get to tame your first pet. Visit your local Hunter trainer to obtain your special Pet Taming Class Quest. Upon completion, embark on your mission to get your new pet. It is recommended that you try to get a pet that is either of the Cat family, or one from the Bear family. This is because Cats have a high attack speed, as well as the useful Dash ability, which assists in chasing down runaway mobs. Bears, on the other hand, have extremely high armor and health, and make good tanks. As a bonus, Bears can also be fed all kinds of food! Both these two type of pets make good aggro holders when leveling or grinding.
You also get access to your Talent Tree at level 10. Hunters have three different types of talent trees – Beast Mastery, Marksmanship, and Survival. Beast Mastery mostly improves your pet’s abilities, Marksmanship allows you more damage from your ranged attacks, and Survival is mostly for utility spells and greater endurance. A good guide is to put your first 5 points on Lethal Shots under the Marksmanship Tree. Follow this by either spending 3 points on Hawk Eye under the Survival Tree for extra range when attacking, or 5 points on Improved Aspect of the Hawk under the Beast Mastery Tree to deal more damage.
Hunters can wear Leather armor until level 40, after which they can wear Mail. When leveling, be sure to try your utmost best to wear gear that gives you Stamina and Agility, for these are the only two stats that are really important for this class. Green “of the Monkey” gear is highly recommended. It is often said a Hunter’s only true friends are their pets and their weapons, and this holds true, as a Hunter’s weapon is mainly responsible for the amount of damage one deals. Constant weapon upgrades and the possession of quality guns, bows or crossbows will definitely help you level faster! |
