Cataclysm Classic Marksmanship Hunter Leveling

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Your first talent unlocks at Level 10.

First, Go for the Throat will give your pet an incredible amount of focus, making it much better at both doing damage and tanking.

First, Go for the Throat will give your pet an incredible amount of focus, making it much better at both doing damage and tanking. Efficiency will reduce the focus cost of your major spender, making your rotation easier.

Next, Careful Aim makes leveling through normal enemies much easier since you'll get a much higher crit chance on your first attack.

Next, Careful Aim makes leveling through normal enemies much easier since you'll get a much higher crit chance on your first attack. Then, go for Improved Steady Shot and be sure to maintain it while leveling for the haste buff.

Take Piercing Shots for the massive damage increase. This is one of the best talents Marksmanship has, and is what makes crit such a valuable stat.

Take Piercing Shots for the massive damage increase. This is one of the best talents Marksmanship has, and is what makes crit such a valuable stat. Next, take Silencing Shot just to have the interrupt available. This point is flexible though, but there aren't many other options. Finally, grab Rapid Killing for the mob to mob bonus while leveling.

Trueshot Aura is a powerful aura and too strong to pass up.

Trueshot Aura is a powerful aura and too strong to pass up. Take the only other available DPS talents, Bombardment and then Termination. These can be picked up in whatever order you prefer, depending on if you prefer better single target or AoE.

Readiness is just a great button to have both for damage and for utility.

Readiness is just a great button to have both for damage and for utility.

This is where you'll finish out the Marksmanship tree. Grab Marked for Death first.

This is where you'll finish out the Marksmanship tree. Grab Marked for Death, Posthaste, and then a single point in Rapid Recuperation. The second point is nice, but not necessary usually.

This is where you'll finish out the Marksmanship tree. Grab Marked for Death, Posthaste, and then a single point in Rapid Recuperation. The second point is nice, but not necessary usually. Finally, take Chimera Shot to finish out the tree. This will be a significant new rotational ability to start using.

Once you're done with the Marksmanship tree, you have some options. Generally you can't go wrong wherever you want to go if you have a personal preference, but One with Nature and Pathing are generically strong DPS choices. Start with taking 3 points in One with Nature.

Once you're done with the Marksmanship tree, you have some options. Generally you can't go wrong wherever you want to go if you have a personal preference, but One with Nature and Pathing are generically strong DPS choices.

Sic 'Em! is going to be your next best DPS option to make your pet even stronger in the new Cataclysm leveling zones.

Finally, Sic 'Em! and Improved Serpent Sting are the remaining decent DPS options. Again, these are not set and can be moved around if there are other options that you prefer.

In your Prime Glyphs we recommend Glyph of Steady Shot, Glyph of Aimed Shot and Glyph of Kill Shot All three of these Glyphs act as passive damage increases to abilities we will already be using in our DPS rotation so they do not require you to do anything differently but will greatly increase your kill speed.

For your Major Glyph slots we recommend Glyph of Mending, Glyph of Misdirection and Glyph of Trap Launcher. These will allow your pet to tank and heal much easier utilizing Misdirection, and then the last one is really personal preference, but having a better Trap Launcher is just a nice quality of life buff.

For your Minor Glyphs we recommend Glyph of Revive Pet, Glyph of Feign Death, and Aspect of the Pack. The first two are just nice quality of life buffs to abilities you will be using regularly, the last one is really personal preference, but Aspect of the Pack is great if you are ever going to be in a group.

1. Command your pet to attack the target;
2. Misdirection on your pet;
3. Hunter's Mark;
4. Arcane Shot to spend focus;
5. Aimed Shot! to spend focus;
6. Kill Shot when target is below 20%;
7. Serpent Sting;
8. Chimera Shot on cooldown;
9. Fill with Steady Shot.

Do your class quest to get your pet. Once you have your pet, your kill speed and efficiency should become much better. Make sure you are careful with your threat, and try to let your pet tank whenever possible.

Feign Death is a great way to drop threat while fighting enemies. Utilize this if you ever need to reset threat back to your pet.

Congratulations on hitting Level 85 in Cataclysm! Now that your leveling process is over, you can learn more about Level-85 Marksmanship Hunter gameplay by reading our fully detailed guide below.