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Hunter Guide - Wrath of the Lich King Classic

During The Burning Crusade Classic, Hunters were the undisputed kings of single-target DPS. The class would regularly top the damage meters and be a highly sought-after part of any raid composition. As we head into Wrath of the Lich King Classic, all that is about to change.

While they are still near the top of our PVE DPS Tier, they're no longer the runaway leader on the DPS meters. It's not all doom and gloom, however. Thanks to some new abilities and skill reworks, some areas where Hunters were lacking have been greatly improved. Their utility is still beneficial in terms of Misdirection, Frost Trap, Freezing Trap, and Improved Hunter's Mark. When applicable, Trueshot Aura can be a beneficial party/raid buff as well. Plus, they still do excellent damage as well, and that will only scale as armor penetration becomes more widely available. So while we say goodbye to the age of Hunter domination in Burning Crusade, we say hello to their continued, albeit more balanced, success in Wrath of the Lich King.

Our Hunter guide will go over the basics for the class. We have spec-specific guides available as well, which you can click into at the very top of this guide.

What's the best race for a hunter?

Horde

The following races can be Hunters for the Horde:

• Blood Elf
• Orc
• Troll
• Tauren

Between those four, your best options are Troll and Orc. Both races offer a racial cooldown ability (Berserking) and (Blood Fury) that can help maximize DPS. Orcs get an edge to the additional Command racial ability, buffing pet damage.

Alliance

The following races can be Hunters for the Alliance:

• Dwarf
• Night Elf
• Draenei

The Heroic Presence racial gives Draenei the edge as the best Alliance option for Hunters. Night Elves are a close second due to their base agility and Shadowmeld utility.

What are the best Hunter pets?

Hunters have the ability to tame pets in the wild. In addition to providing utility and extra DPS, they can also provide helpful buffs as well.

Generally, a Wolf is the best bet due to the Furious How buff. Thanks to the Beast Mastery talent in the BM tree, a Devilsaur is another option, albeit not as optimal.

What are the best professions for a Hunter?

Engineering continues to be the best possible profession for Hunters. Thanks to new recipes in Wrath of the Lich King Classic, there are helpful enhancements for your gear as a Hunter:

• Nitro Boosts - This is the ideal enchant for your boots.
• Hyperspeed Accelerators - In some cases, this is a better gloves enchant than Enchant Gloves - Major Agility. As always, it's best to sim it.
• Flexweave Underlay - A beneficial cloak enchant that offers utility via its slow fall.
• Frag Belt - This stacks alongside Eternal Belt Buckle and gives you an extra explosive to use in combat.

In addition, Engineers will be able to use explosives such as the new Global Thermal Sapper Charge and Saronite Grenade, as well as Super Sapper Charge and Goblin Sapper Charge.

Jewelcrafting

For my money, Jewelcrafting is the second best profession for Hunters in Wrath of the Lich King Classic. The combination of being able to use the profession-specific gems such as Delicate Dragon's Eye, as well as crafting profession specific items like Titanium Impact Band and Titanium Impact Choker, outweigh the benefits of other professions.

Blacksmithing

The only other viable option for optimal PVE performance is Blacksmithing. Blacksmiths gain two additional gem sockets via Socket Gloves and Socket Bracer, resulting a net 40 extra Agility if you use Delicate Stormjewel. Technically, this is a 2 Agility loss compared to what you'll gain through Jewelcrafting when solely accounting for gems. There are other benefits to Blacksmithing outside of personal performance, such as being able to craft sought-after items. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

What is the best PVE spec for Hunters?

Early on in Wrath of the Lich King Classic, Survival will be the go-to spec for Hunters. Late into Ulduar and at the early stages of Trial of the Crusader, the obtainable armor penetration becomes high enough to justify the switch over the Marksmanship.

Beast Mastery is no longer the default PVE spec for Hunters, though it does have applications in speedrunning teams thanks to its impressive burst potential.

What consumes should I use as a Hunter?

For the most part, the consumes used by Hunters are uniform across all three specs, with few exceptions.

• Flask - Flask of Endless Rage
• Food - Fish Feast is the most ideal, but it won't always be available. Marksmanship will use Blackened Dragonfin or Hearty Rhino depending on their stats. As always, sim for the best option. Survival will use Blackened Dragonfin. Beast Mastery will use Mega Mammoth Meal
• Pet Food - Spiced Mammoth Treats
• Potion - Don't forget to pre-pot before entering combat, as you can only use one potion per encounter. Marksmanship will use Potion of Speed, Survival and Beast Mastery will use Potion of Wild Magic.
• Health Potion - Runic Healing Potion
• Mana Potion - Runic Mana Potion
• Engineering consumes - Global Thermal Sapper Charge, Saronite Bomb

Final Thoughts

There is much to know and perfect within this Hunter Guide for WotLK, but there is still so much more to see!

Check out our main WotLK Directory here.