INTRODUCTION:
If you have read any other of my final templates then please skip this section, and jump right to “BUILD TYPE”. The Intro is the same for all 8 of my final templates, as I would like to try to convey why I am building the templates the way I am.

I was kind of surprised to find out that I have a little over 1150 hours /played in game so far. (8 peeps * 6 days /played, (average) * 24 hours in a day) This has given me a unique perspective when it comes to PvP, because not only have I killed every Alliance class with every Horde class, but I have also been killed by every Alliance class as every Horde class. The most difficult thing to do when trying to build the best overall character template, is trying to remember all the PvP encounters I have been in, and filtering out the “BS PvP”. (BS PvP encounters = encounters where, regardless of personal skill, abilities or talents, the outcome would not have changed) An example of BS PvP is me as a 50 Mage, attacking a 30 Mage, I kill him but I learn NOTHING, and regardless of my template he still would have died. Another example is me in a PvE engagement with 20% health left, and a peep 5 levels below me ganks me. Hell no I don’t feel bad, not only did he have the advantage of surprise, he also already had me 80% dead at the start. I must filter these out, so that I can accumulate meaningful data, in order to build a better template. There is other BS that also must be filtered and this is far WORSE then the BS mentioned above. That is misinformation, which is 80-90% of the crap we see in the chat channels, and on the WOW public boards. Trust me, if peeps have anything intelligent to say, they are saying it on their clan/guild boards.

Another thing to remember is that these are based on my “play style”. If I had to describe my play style in a couple of words, I would describe it as “overly aggressive”. You will not find me with a “stun rogue” and my shaman and warrior with both be 2H for PvP. (they will go 1H/Shield for end game instances/PvE). In the U.S. Army, 80% of our training was in offensive operations, and I guess it carried over because I simply refuse to defend anything. Yeah, if I am in a FPS, I’ll “camp the flag”, but there are no flags in WOW. The best defense is an overwhelming offense! (No, I do not mean a zerg either; I hate zergs, all numbers and no skill)

Bored yet? O.K O.K. The last thing I ask you to remember is the “build type”. There are only 5 types of a build that you can possibly make. (I don’t care how you place your 51 points, your overall template will fall into one of the five)
1. Offensive Group = Your template is geared toward causing massive damage, in the minimal amount of time, and you have skills that can benefit multiple members of your group, and/or you have skills that can disadvantage/damage multiple members of the opposing group.
2. Offensive Solo = Your template is geared toward causing massive damage, in the minimal amount of time, and the vast majority of your skills only benefit you or disadvantage a single opponent.
3. Defensive Group = You are a healer and buffer.(No not a floor buffer)
4. Defensive Solo = Your template is geared towards lasting longer then your opponent and you plan on winning a battle through attrition.
5. Gimped = any build type that does not fall into one of the above four, or any build type that tries to combine, in any way, the above 4.

BUILD TYPE:
Offensive Solo. Specced heavy in Marksmanship. Why not other? This was one of the easier templates to make, as I have mentioned before I am an “Offensive Peep”, so survival (mostly defensive skills) was not an option, and Beast Mastery was also not an option, because pets are usually ignored/stunned/rooted/feared etc… The thing that really kicked me in the ass here is the fact that I needed one more point so I could have the 20% bonus in Improved Wing Clip, instead of 16%. I could not squeeze this point out of any other place, Bestial Swiftness was an option but then the question of “what do I need more, 30% faster pet run speed, or 4% better chance to root a target” came into play. To me the answer was obvious. I have heard quite a few peeps being happy with a melee type Hunter but to me this just defies common logic. Why? Well start and attack with ranged and look at the total damage in the first 5 hits, now start an attack and look at the total damage of the first 5 hits, there is simply no comparison. As a Hunter, ranged combat is your friend, melee combat gives the advantage to your opponent. I almost gave up the point in True Shot Aura because this did not stack with your other “+ to range attack power” skills, however Bliz fixed this in a patch, so I stuck with it. Remember about True Shot Aura, you get the bonus, YOUR PET gets the bonus, and if in a party, the other members also get the bonus.

THEORY OF THE BUILD:
Stay away from me.
You must maintain your distance as a Hunter to do your big damage. Although engagements will be different on a “per class” basis, this should be your opening moves:

1. Aimed shot. I am sure you already know that aimed shot has an added delay to your attack, you must time this so that the sound of your pet being released, DOES NOT give your target time to start to use his/her escape skills. For example when I send my raptor he goes “ROARRRR!” If you send your pet first, you just blew your element of surprise. Another “Noob move” is to use Hunters Mark first, giving your target 100% notice that they are about to be attacked.(of course there is only one example of when you should use HM first and that is VS. a Rogue.) So Aimed shot, then time your “pet send” too about the same time as your arrow leaves the Bow. No damnit do not use a Gun!!! A guns “BANG” also lets your target know when they are under attack, you would crap your pants if I told you how many times I simply did not send my pet and used Aim Shot and keep firing till they notice. Some peeps never even knew they were getting killed until they were already dead… However we must assume, that when attacking a target that after the “pet send” or the first arrow hits, they know you are there.(not everyone will let you “Noob kill” them) By the way if anyone knows of a pet that DOES NOT make a sound when you send it, let me know… DROOL… O.K. so far we have an Aimed Shot, the arrow leaves the bow…(or within 1 sec of leaving the bow)
2. Send pet.(timing as listed above)
3. Rapid Fire
4. Hunters Mark
5. Concussion Shot. 20% chance to stun for 3 secs.
6. Serpent Sting, if facing melee, or “low HP caster” such as a Mage. Viper Sting if facing caster – Always Viper Sting against a Pally
7. Arcane Shot.

What you do now greatly depends on your target. If you pulled a melee peep, you may have wanted to set a frost trap down at your pull point. If you are forced to melee then always run through your target delivering a Wing Clip. After passing through them remember THEY must turn around and chase you. Of course you could always Aspect of the Cheetah and try to get some distance between you and your target but this is risky as if you get hit you will be dazed. Also do not forget if things turn bad and you know you are not going to win, simply call your pet off, Scatter Shot, and aspect of Cheetah away.

Don’t get too afraid of melee, I mean you are in chain and you can dish out a little damage this way, but if you are in melee for more then a few secs you are really giving the target an advantage they should not have. The largest “Class Rival” in WOW is the Hunter VS. Rogue. Whoever gets the Surprise on the other should win 80-90% of the time. As a Hunter, if a Rogue starts combat with you, you really have limited options, and if the Rogue is using Crippling Poison, then you are really screwed. Always try an escape plan if this happens, as there is no way in hell you can out-damage a Rogue in melee.

TEMPLATE:

Saved Template

Class: Hunter
Level: 60


Beast Mastery Talents (11 points)
• Improved Aspect of the Hawk - 5/5 points
Increases the Ranged Attack Power bonus of your Aspect of the Hawk by 20%.
• Bestial Discipline - 5/5 points
Increases the maximum Focus of your pets by 20%.
• Bestial Swiftness - 1/1 point
Increases the outdoor movement speed of your pets by 30%.



Marksmanship Talents (31 points)
• Improved Concussive Shot - 5/5 points
Gives your Concussive Shot a 20% chance to stun the target for 3 seconds.
• Lethal Shots - 5/5 points
Increases your critical strike chance with ranged weapons by 5%.
• Improved Hunter's Mark - 5/5 points
Increases the Ranged Attack Power bonus of your Hunter's Mark spell by 15%.
• Aimed Shot - 1/1 point
An aimed shot that increases ranged damage by 70.
• Improved Arcane Shot - 5/5 points
Reduces the cooldown of your Arcane Shot by 1 second.
• Mortal Shots - 5/5 points
Increases your ranged weapon critical strike damage bonus by 50%.
• Hawk Eye - 3/3 points
Increases the range of your ranged weapons by 6 yards.
• Scatter Shot - 1/1 point
A short-range shot that deals 50% weapon damage and confuses the target for 4 seconds. Any damage caused will remove the effect.
• Trueshot Aura - 1/1 point
Increases the Ranged and Melee Attack Power of party members within 30 yards by 30.



Survival Talents (9 points)
• Improved Raptor Strike - 5/5 points
Reduces the cooldown of your Raptor Strike by 1 second.
• Improved Wing Clip - 4/5 points
Gives your Wing Clip ability a 16% chance to immobilize the target for 5 seconds.