Section 1: Melee weapons
There seems to be some significant debate regarding hunter Melee weapons. Here
is my own guide on what are some of the best hunter melee weapons.
For starters, procs are NOT based on weapon delays, they are on separate set
timers and go off based on a percentage during that time. This has been
discussed quite a bit in other threads. You can even see it in game. I have seen
warriors Arcanite Reaper Proc way more then a Rogue. But no hunter should EVER
use a proc only weapon. PERIOD! Here is the thing; a melee weapon is useless
unless it gives you Agility and/or Crit and/or Stamina. Proc weapons are a waste
and should go to Warrior/Rogues. We use melee for finishing and something to
deal damage while trying to get to ranged and depending on class you are
fighting.
Next, when it comes to meleeing, unless you have at least 15-20 points in
Survival, there is no point in it that much. You should only be Raptor, Clip and
run. Many hunters and myself included now use 20 points in survival so we can
better survive. Hard hitting but still good stat melee weapons now become more
critical since we will be using them more. I use to be 10/31/10 but now 0/31/20.
All in all, If you are a primarily Beast/Marks, with very little survival, you
need to balance all your items so that you have decent stamina but still
maintain hard hitting ranged. But no matter what, stamina is vital especially if
you lack certain survival talents to help you live longer. Stuff will still get
in your face and you will need the HP to survive it.
So...if you have a melee weapon or weapons, make sure it has good stats. Then
enchant it with Life Steal and/or Crusader. Usually, I prefer dual wield because
I have recorded higher DPS, then a 2-hander. Also, nice slow weapons are better
for the critting when you rapto/wing clip and run.
Then comes the argument about Dual Wield verses Two-Hander. After much time
using both, I get better DPS and better over all stats with dual wield. However
you should always use weapons like Treant's Bane and Lok'delar, Stave of the
Ancient Keepers since they are pretty much as good as dual wield combos (I think
these weapons are the only exception though).
Here is a list of melee weapons that I find to be the best for hunters. Pick and
choose what ones best compliment your armor and ranged weapon and you will be
set. I am not listing Green items "of the Monkey" or "of Stamina" or "of
Agility" because they are all very nice if you get them as an upgrade.
For "of the Monkey" expect 14-19sta/14-19agi
For "of Stamina" or "of Agility" expect 22-29 sta or agi.
In general though, it is better to stay away from "of Stamina" or "of Agility"
weapons since there are blues that have better stats that are east to get. that
usually goes for most greens, even the "of the Monkey" ones.
-------------------------------------------------
I currently use these primarily and rarely change. Both have great max damage
and great stats. Note, that if these drop in groups with a Rogue, you will have
some trouble. The Krol is your best argument since it has everything a hunter
needs. I actually bought both of these and never had to deal with that
situation. You may get some trouble from dual wield Warriors since more of them
are popping up now:
Krol Blade
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=8407
Assassination Blade
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5241
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Other nice dual crit weapons are:
Brutality Blade
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37423
(Molten Core drop. Be hard to get since every rogue will want it. But it is
still amazing for hunters that are semi survival speced, especially if they
boost our survival tree.
Dawn's Edge (Cheap and easy to craft)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=14278
-------------------------------------------------
Another very nice dual wield combo that has damage and crit is the Dal'Rend's
Set. However, don't roll on these over Rogues. Especially when you can get far
better axes, or two handers much easier. Even dual wield warriors would be
better of. Since dual wield warriors are getting a boost, this will be good for
them also:
Dal'Rend's Sacred Charge
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=23785
Dal'Rend's Tribal Guardian
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=18260
Set bonus gives 50 attack power.
(A little note on this is that Barbarous Blade is pretty much just as good)
-------------------------------------------------
Melee weapons are only 2 slots, but like any other slots you make trade offs.
You can have a max of around 140-240hp from dual melee weapons with nice damage
also. If you need stamina with some damage, here is what is best for you:
Axe of Rin'ji
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=6222
Ribsplitter of the Monkey
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=18383
Bone Slicing Hatchet
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37158
Hedgecutter
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35735
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I personally don't like daggers due to low max damage especially when there are
far better sword combos. Never roll on these over a rogue. If they all have it
and its an upgrade to one of your weapons, then take it. Here are some decentish
daggers for Hunters:
Core Hound Tooth (Don't count on ever getting this unless all Rogues that want
it have it. BUT, do try and get it. Its one of the best Dual weild weapons we
can get)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37469
Dire Nail of the Monkey
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=10526
Heartseeker (Not easy to craft)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=25585
Scarlet Kris
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35987
Bonescraper
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=24339
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If you prefer 2 handers with good stamina and damage, here are some very nice
all around good weapons:
Typhoon (Nice, but there are still better and easier to get choices)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35900
Blade of Hanna (Semi decent, but there are better choices. Take only if nice
upgrade)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=26368
Treant's Bane (BEST CHOICE!!! This thing is AMAZING for Hunters)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36492
Arcanite Reaper
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=14268
Lord Alexander's Battle Axe
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=6660
Malicious Axe (30 Stamina, 26 attack power -> Very nice!)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37466
Ice Barbed Spear (New Battle Grounds reward and is simply amazing. Great choice)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=40261
Grimlok's Charge
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5237
Stoneraven
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=9656
-------------------------------------------------
Here are some other very nice 2-handers with no stamina, but all have chance to
crit:
Barbarous Blade (Great Damage!)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35869
Dreadforge Retaliator
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=8486
Waveslicer
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35623
Peacemaker (Much like Barbarous Blade)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37194
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Lastly, here are some 2-handers that do not fit in the above, but are still very
nice in that they have good stamina not found in a green or other nice stats.
Basically, get them if they are an upgrade:
Relentless Scythe (Decent Hunter melee with some agility and Stamina and 1%
chance to parry. Very nice actually, and some hunters will swear by it.)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17510
Stone of the Earth
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=18854
Corruption (Ok if you are a blacksmith and want to make it. 30 stamina make it
nice.)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=25876
Blade of the Titans
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=9958
Monstrous Glaive (30 Stamina, 1% chance to parry)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35842
Frenzied Striker (Not great, but ok especially for instances)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=9942
Headspike
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=4806
-------------------------------------------------
PS...if you can get it, this is great:
Lok'delar, Stave of the Ancient Keepers
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37737
*************************************************
*************************************************
Section 2: Ranged weapons
Although not really an issue, there are some complaints about lack of more high
end ranged weapons especially of the three variants; bow, guns, and crossbows.
However, when it comes to choosing, there are in my opinion, 3 major paths you
can take, and it does not matter if the weapon is a bow, gun, or crossbow.
Essentially, it all boils down to max damage and DPS. There are really 3 kinds
of ranged weapons:
High DPS, High Max Damage - Big crits, but not many of them since most are
rather slow in general. Great for Aimed shot and Multi shot.
High DPS, Low Max Damage - Usually much faster hitting, decent critting, with
many crits since delay is very low.
High DPS, Medium Damage - Medium hitting, critting, and medium rate of critting.
If auto-shooting at a stationary target and assuming all have the same listed
DPS, all will get pretty close to the same overall DPS over time. However, there
are situations where you want to choose one or the other based on the delay.
Personally, I feel the Medium speed delay weapons are just not that great and
not as situational.
Here are the pluses and minuses also assuming all have display same DPS:
High DPS, High Max Damage are great for aimed shots, multi shots, instances with
lots of changing of targets, and hit and run. For all of these, assuming the
delay time is high and is being absorbed by either moving and taking the time to
change targets, and your aimed shot and multi shot crits are also going to be
hitting for a lot. The bad is if you miss, then it is a more significant loss in
damage, sometimes if an enemy is moving towards you, it can be hard to get many
shots in, and you can generate lots of hate in instances (all assuming again it
is a slow weapon).
High DPS, Low Max Damage also have many benefits. For starters, you crit a lot
assuming it is a very fast weapon. Sometimes, it seems you always crit since you
are firing so fast. Occasionally, it seems like you crit 2-3 times for every one
crit of a slower weapon. Also, these are good for dueling and soloing since you
can squeeze quite a few shots off before anything gets really close to you.
Another nice thing with fast weapons, is spell interruption. Using rapid fire
with fast ranged weapon will delay spells significantly. Downsides are low aimed
shot and multi shot crits and greater ammo consumption.
High DPS, Medium Damage are just a mix of the above and I don't care for them
too much.
Personally, I feel it is good to have two High DPS ranged weapons. A Fast Delay
and a High Max damage ranged weapon that you can swap between in your back pack.
Aimed shot, then multi with the heavy hitter, then swap out to a faster.
The next big consideration are stats. Agility adds to your DPS along with crit
so you should choose carefully should some nice drop come your way. Remember,
that a 30 DPS with 10 agility will have near equivalent DPS to a 32 DPS with no
stats. Generally, it is also good to get a weapon with Stamina as well. You
can't go wrong with that. Agility is nice, but if you can get one with stamina
also, go for it. I have broken the following up into groups; High DPS, High Max
Damage; High DPS, Fast Delay; and Other Decent weapons. I have left a few of the
crappier weapons out since the ones I have listed are wither the best or not as
good but easy to get.
-------------------------------------------------
High DPS, High Max Damage (max usually 100+):
Rhok'delar, Longbow of the Ancient Keepers (Lots of time. Best by far but could
use some Stamina)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37747
Blastershot Launcher (Molten Core. Nice crit, nice Stamina. Really nice if you
can get it)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=38825
Striker's Mark (Molten Core - Better for PvE, but quite viable in PvP aswell)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=27150
Core Marksman Rifle (Crafted from Molten core Plans - Better for PvE, but quite
viable in PvP aswell)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36517
Carapace Spine Crossbow (Easy to get, and my personal pick if you can't get
Molten Core loot yet.)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37177
Dwarven Hand Cannon
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17204
Bloodseeker (New Battle Grounds reward. Carapace Spine Crossbow is pretty much
equal or better, and the Spear is a better choice for your reward)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=40260
Flawless Arcanite Rifle
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=23500
Blackcrow (PvE, not great for PvP)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=9171
Xorothian Firestick
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37346
Heartseeking Crossbow
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5564
Gorewood Bow
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=7156
Gryphonwing Long Bow (Bottom of the list. Entry lvl)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5282
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High DPS, Fast Delay (<2.3):
Eaglehorn Long Bow (Probably the best)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36112
Hurricane
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=13869
Precisely Calibrated Boomstick (Fastest gun, good compliment for good max damage
gun)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=6882
Riphook (Not great, almost too slow for category)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5331
Megashot Rifle
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=38411
Houndmaster's Bow
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=18794
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Here are some other ranged weapons that are ok, and some have very good stats:
Ancient Bone Bow (Max damage too low for its speed, but has nice agility and
consistent damage)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37260
Willey's Portable Howitzer
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=13423
Satyr's Bow
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35722
Screeching Bow
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37249
*************************************************
Section 3: Necklaces, Rings, Capes and Trinkets
Even with these items, you can run into quite a bit of diversity. It is still
always good to try to compliment one area or the other and have stats for the
most part balanced out. Sometimes, its good to have a healthy chunk of Attack
Power via Agility or +Attack Power over crit. Lots of crit is really nice, but
sometimes consistency is better. All, the Stamina loss you sometimes get is not
always desirable. Balanced Attack, crit, and Stamina are in my opinion you best
bet. You can get really good crit and not lose attack power by mixing and
matching Necklaces, Rings, Capes and Trinkets. Here is my list to help you out.
As before, good greens are not listed, so like the weapons, look for ?of the
Monkey?, ?of agility?, or ?of Stamina?, and occasionally ?of Eluding?.
-------------------------------------------------
Necklaces:
Onyxia Tooth Pendant (One of the best neck piece in the game we can get. You get
this by turning in Onyxia's head)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36832
Eskhandar's Collar (Very hard to get since the 4 pieces set it is from is geared
towards Rogues and Dual wield Warriors. But the 17 Stamina is tough to pass up.
Compared to the above, its just a matter of trade off, 80hp and 1% dodge <-
verses -> 12 agility, 1% chance to hit, and 10 fire resist)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=40003
Blazefury Medallion (Nice Stamina and Agility, but let a Rogue have it. Just
wanted to mention it since it is still very nice only all the Rogues/Warriors
have it and its an upgrade.
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36238
Emberfury Talisman (Possibly one of the best Pre Onyxia/Molten Core drops a
Hunter can get. Comes from UBRS first boss and has a very high drop rate)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=19212
Evil Eye Pendant
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35743
Mark of Fordring (Also one of the best neclaces you can get pre Onyxia/MC but
the quest chain is a pain)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17781
Imperial Jewel (Not really worth getting since you can get the next item from a
quest and they are pretty close to the same: 7 sta, 32 atk power. HOWEVER, if
you plan on getting the ring Blood of the Martyr for the stamina, then get this
to use will be nice)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=8522
Will of the Martyr (10 sta, 30 atk power, Quest reward with Blood of the Martyr,
a ring, as other choice)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17203
Frostwolf Legionnaire's Pendant (Must be new)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=40420
Woven Ivy Necklace (Good upgrade to item below next)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=40334
Star of Mystaria (Good upgrade to next item)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=14039
Skibi's Pendant (Good entry lvl item)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=33877
Verek's Collar
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=18897
-------------------------------------------------
Rings:
Quick Strike Ring (Best ring we can get EVAR!)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37360
Band of Accuria (Very nice as well. Competes well against next ring)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37909
Myrmidon's Signet (I doubt I will ever replace mine. Not even if I have the DKP
for Band of Accuria)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17740
Painweaver Band (Another great ring to have pre MC)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=19405
Magni's Will (Another great ring to have pre MC)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=7246
Band of Flesh (Very nice if you don't have Myrmidon's Signet)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17566
Ring of Demonic Potency (Could be nice for soloing or instances)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35682
Blood of the Martyr
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=17127
Band of the Ogre King (Only really good for the Stamina. Take only if nobody
needs and only if it is an upgrade)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35820
Tarnished Elven Ring (Great PvE ring)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35972
Ring of Protection (Nice Armor and Stamina)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=3919
Drakeclaw Band of the Monkey
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=16367
Archaedic Stone of the Monkey (Good Entry lvl)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=7356
Assault Band (Good Entry lvl)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=4813
-------------------------------------------------
Capes:
Cloak of the Shrouded Mists (/drool)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=37851
Shifting Cloak (One of my Top Choices. Crafted item)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36198
Eskhandar's Pelt (Also a top choice)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=39778
Puissant Cape (Decent cape, but would usemore in PvE)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35931
Stoneskin Gargoyle Cape (My personal favorite. Excellent Stamina and gives
Agility)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=13816
The Emperor's New Cape (Probably one of the best pre MC/Onyxia capes)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=4899
Cape of the Black Baron (Very nice DPS cape)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=13406
Blisterbane Wrap
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=13138
Blackmetal Cape
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=18199
Archivist Cape of Stamina (Could be useful to our class with the mana regen and
has nice Stamina)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=23239
Bloodmoon Cloak (Purely good for Stamina)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=10436
Dark Phantom Cape (Nice Entry lvl cape)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=5322
Blackflame Cape (Nice Entry lvl cape)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=12077
-------------------------------------------------
Trinkets:
Blackhand's Breadth (NEVER leave home without this. There is nothing really
comparable)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=9464
Counterattack Lodestone (Can't go wrong here. Very nice to have. Comes rom Dire
Maul Tribute)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=36047
Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas (Dire Maul Hunter quest reward. Very nice)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35645
Arena Grand Master (Very sweet trinket)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=40294
Lifestone (Has its uses)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=12047
Uther's Strength (Could come in handy in a pinch)
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=4936
Vigilance Charm
http://www.thottbot.com/?i=35858
-------------------------------------------------
My final picks for the best of the best:
Well, since I like Balance of stats I would go with:
Onyxia Tooth Pendant
Quick Strike Ring
Myrmidon's Signet
Cloak of the Shrouded Mists or Shifting Cloak
Blackhand's Breadth
Counterattack Lodestone or Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas
Another good choice is:
Eskhandar's Collar
Quick Strike Ring
Band of Accuria
Eskhandar's Pelt
Blackhand's Breadth
Counterattack Lodestone or Royal Seal of Eldre'Thalas
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