Hunter
A couple infos regarding hunter build, and how to play it.
First thing to check is your talents.
For survival, you are highly invited to check Bicmex youtube, twitch, and google sheets, which will give you more than any infos needed
Spec for BM on 10.1.x
Spec for MM on 10.1.x
Hunter spells and when to chose them
Binding Shot vs Scatter Shot
Scatter is on paper better
- Lets you cross cc meaning in 3v3 you can scatter after a trap to CC 2 targets at a time
- Lets you safely root trap someone
- Interrupts someone who is casting a CC, a dangerous spell, or just a melee bursting
However it has some draw backs
- Applies some DR on incapacitates
- Breaks on damage
- If you play with someone with dots, you will fuck him up.
So overall, you should almost never take Scatter in solo shuffle if you play with a dotter
- Affli Lock ( or even any lock spec in general )
- Elem Sham
- Shadow priest
- Unholy DK
Meaning you should take binding shot. Binding shot also helps you in some situation
- vs dangerous pets (BM hunter, Demono lock)
- vs double melees
- If you play with someone who cant stun
The main drawbacks or binding shots is applying a stun DR, meaning any Subtlety rogue will hate you if you fuck their setups. Be mindful about that.
Steel Trap vs Serpent Sting
Usually you will play with Steel Trap anytime you face at least 1 melee, or you play vs a healer you could abuse to steel trap after a freezing trap.
Serpent sting is very good however in games that will be end with high dampening as it will help you having a better damage over time and pressure when dampening gets higher.
Intimidation vs Explosive Trap
If you dont take Intimidation you're trolling. Explosive trap can be fun in BGs / RBGs even more in Eye of the Storm, but usually you will really need it in arena.
We will now talk about PvP Talents. Any talents I do not present about can be completely forgotten.
Darts is good vs druids. You will lower 8 hots - or even more important buff - every time you dispels or interrupts. Helps a lot applying pressure.
Diamond Ice is good in very specifics situations
- You know you wont be able to trap without getting in danger (facing double melees) and you need to trap one of the DPS to survive. I only use it on MM in these situations where I know my trap on the healer is not required to win the round.
- You play vs Shadow Priest or a Warlock that will play dispel trap. ( no matter your spec)
- You will also play with absolute animals in low rating that will break your trap at EVERY SINGLE OPPORTUNITY. Never ever will a dh cancel aura his burns or anything. If you feel you are playing with subhumans. you can also take it to secure your trap.
Hunting pack is extremely good in general to help you kite melees. Pairing a freedom effect (such as Master's Call) with Aspect of the Cheetah helps you really kite away. However, you need to know if the round will last longer than 3 mins. If it will not, then maybe you won't be able to use it twice.
This is very good in almost every situation.
This is a very strong talent that can be used in many situations
- After a trap, to extend CC
- Before a trap, to prevent somehow from using a spell to dodge it
- On a caster bursting (including Enhancement Shaman and Rets)
- on a melee range to slow it a lot (however it's value really is lowered in this situation
For Marksmanship
Sniper shot can be taken in some occasions:
- You play with a class that can stun a lot (dh, rogue, feral, war)
- You know for sure you will not be focused this round.
Trueshot Mastery is almost mandatory in solo shuffle: Most rounds will last a little bit below 3 mins and lowered the cooldown of Trueshot allows you using it twice, with the second use letting you score a kill. However, if you are blessed to be queued with a Paladin Tank as a healer, maybe it's not worth it. The extra 100 focus on use is also a great thing to have.
Ranger Finesse is great versus melees because
- it lets you bump people really far away, and it lets you slow them more
- It lowers aspect of the turtle. Usually not to a point it will allow to use it twice in a shuffle round, but who knows.
For Beast Mastery
I dont like it at all. It could be good in Zug Zug solo shuffle rounds when you need to tunnel someone and you dont want to get feared. However I feel you have better alternatives.
An absolute must versus melees cleave or any melee that want to tunnel you or your teammate. Your freedom becomes a 23 seconds cooldown. I really find a lot of value in this spell. On top of that you will also freedom people around you which is a nice added bonus. Do not overuse it versus moonkin, always keep it to freedom a root beam on your healer (the rotation will do it automatically for you)
For Survival
Mandatory versus melees in which disarm is worth it... and it spread, so it has a lot of value versus melee cleaves. Warrior, Rogue, DH, ... any times you face a sub rogue allowing you to range disarm him on his go is really great.
Tracker's Net has a huge drawback : it applies a root DR on a target, however the 80% to miss while having the net on the target is really good. I still have mixed feeling about this even more since tar trap applies a root now which lets us secure a steel trap.
This is mandatory versus Feral druids and Assasination Rogue. Or if you're playing in a 2v2 situation without a healer. The bleeds dispel completely negates these guys burst and pressure.
Some tips on hunter
CCing Melees for a long time
Let's take this example
You are in melee range of a melee guy who wants to kill you. You should back away so
- You are still in line of sight (los) of your healer
- You get the enemy out of sight of his healer
Then this happens
Now out of sight of the DH, you can
- Freezing Trap ( 6 seconds incapacitates) (16 seconds in total) (If the dampening is high enough and you do not need to trap to win but just pump damage)
Meanwhile the healer, in order to apply either a freedom or a dispel on the DH will need to get into an insecure positioning which should make it vulnerable to CC