Cataclysm Classic Survival Hunter Stat Priority

The stat priority for Survival Hunter is as follows:

1. Agility
2. Hit Rating (to 8%)
3. Haste Rating until soft cap
4. Critical Strike Rating
5. Mastery
6. Haste Rating

Agility is your primary source of Attack Power which all of your damaging abilities scale off of. This is your Primary stat and should be on every piece of gear. There are other sources of scaling for Agility as well, but ultimately, more Agility is the best and most important way to scale your damage. Survival Hunters also get the additional benefit of Into the Wilderness, which makes Agility even more valuable for Survival than for other Hunter specializations.

At Level 85:

• 1 Agility = 2 Ranged Attack Power

Hit Rating is another great way to deal damage and more importantly land our abilities. In Cataclysm it is especially important to hit your Steady Shot and Cobra Shot abilities, as missed shots will not generate focus. Additionally, missed Cobra Shots will not extend your Serpent Sting, which could lead to it falling off and needing to be re-cast. In shot, hit cap is extremely important both numerically and for easier game play. As a Survival Hunter we are aiming to achieve 8% Hit rating to be hit capped. For most players this means getting 961 Hit rating, but for Draenei that drops down to 841 Hit rating because of their racial bonus.

At Level 85:

• 120.1 Hit Rating = 1% Hit Chance

Haste rating is our lowest priority stat, but only after reaching the soft cap. In Cataclysm, many classes have specific interactions with haste where certain breakpoints with casted spells or DoTs can cause haste to lose a ton of value past certain break points. These break points are usually called "soft caps." For Survival Hunters, this break point is exactly 757 haste. 757 haste is the exact amount of haste, with raid buffs and level 85 talents, for you to be able to perfectly fit 3 Cobra Shots in between 2 Explosive Shots. Survival's rotation is all about maxxing the number of Explosive Shot casts in a fight, so it is not worth delaying the next Explosive Shot when it's coming off cooldown. This is the required amount of haste to squeeze that extra Cobra Shot in the gap without delaying your next Explosive Shot. Once you reach 757 haste, the value of the stat drops significantly since its only added benefit is just making your auto shots faster. Once you are past the soft cap, it is recommended to Reforge this stat into a higher priority stat like Mastery or Critical Strike Rating.

At Level 85:

• 128.05 Haste Rating = 1% Haste

Survival Hunters have several additional bonuses when attacks crit from either you or your pet, such as with Toxicology and Go for the Throat. Crit provides you with a better rotation in terms of focus generation and just more damage. Overall, Crit is going to be your best secondary stat once you get your haste soft cap.

At Level 85:

• 179.28 Crit Rating = 1% Crit

Mastery is the new stat added in during Cataclysm and provides a different, unique benefit for every single specialization in the game. For Survival Hunters, Mastery increases all of the magic damage you deal, which includes abilities such as Explosive Shot and Serpent Sting. The majority of the damage you deal is magic making this a strong mastery, meaning you should prioritize it just behind Crit.

At Level 85:

• 179.28 Mastery Rating = 1% Mastery