Survival FS - pet help ?

[Caldwell 0]

Hello.

#1 Any tips about what pet to use when using Focusing Shot?

 

#2 By how much FS is better than lone wolf? I see many SV huners using it even on fights where you have to move a lot. And read that it is good on purely stationary fights like Butcher.

#3 Glaive Toss is better than Barrage only on single target or is Barrage better there aswell now ?

Edited February 12, 2015 by Caldwell

[Orthios 271]

Hello.

#1 Any tips about what pet to use when using Focusing Shot?

 

#2 By how much FS is better than lone wolf? I see many SV huners using it even on fights where you have to move a lot. And read that it is good on purely stationary fights like Butcher.

#3 Glaive Toss is better than Barrage only on single target or is Barrage better there aswell now ?

#1)

#2) Considerably, about 7-12% higher.  FS can be used on all fights so far (have not tested blackhand, iron maidens, and kromog, however, I don't foresee too much movement in any of them that would inhibit the use of FS).

#3) Glaive Toss should only be used under very rare circumstances (no toth, moving, won't delay ES/BA, and not enough focus for AS).  Barrage should only be used on ST if you have no TotH procs, no scales/scope (or other MS) procs and you won't delay ES/BA.  Barrage should be used as close to on cd as possible on multiple targets.

[Iridar 80]

On purely single target encounters Focusing Shot is not that far ahead of Lone Wolf, for me it's around 3-5% best case scenario.  

 

But Focusing Shot scales much better in AOE situations, because most of your AOE damage comes from:

• Serpent Sting DoT
• Serpent Sting ticks when it gets (re)applied by Multi Shot or its multistrikes
• Barrage
• Explosive Trap

None of which gets buffed by Lone Wolf. So on fights like Beastmaster Darmac its possible for Focusing Shot be +30-40% ahead. 

Edited February 12, 2015 by Iridar

[Caldwell 0]

#1 Best pet... I have seen the video before and that is not what I am asking. I am no ''pro'' in this field, I don't know ok. Each pet has different attacks and 1 ''special'' ability [ buff ]. But besides that there are pets who can stun targets around them, reduce targets healing effectivity etc. Which ''3rd'' ability or abilities would come in handy against raid bosses as several attacks / cc's and such abilities don't work against them?

#2 So I guess I should try using FS all the time then.

''Serpent Sting ticks when it gets (re)applied by Multi Shot or its multistrikes'' - umm, would arcane shot make it tick as-well?

#3 So, glaive toss - 1 target, barrage - 2+ ?

[Iridar 80]

#1 Best pet... I have seen the video before and that is not what I am asking. I am no ''pro'' in this field, I don't know ok. Each pet has different attacks and 1 ''special'' ability [ buff ]. But besides that there are pets who can stun targets around them, reduce targets healing effectivity etc. Which ''3rd'' ability or abilities would come in handy against raid bosses as several attacks / cc's and such abilities don't work against them?

#2 So I guess I should try using FS all the time then.

''Serpent Sting ticks when it gets (re)applied by Multi Shot or its multistrikes'' - umm, would arcane shot make it tick as-well?

#3 So, glaive toss - 1 target, barrage - 2+ ?

#1 - Pets can no longer do crowd control. They can only snare (slow). The only other debuff a pet can place is reduced healing. This can be useful on bosses with healing abilities, but I'm not sure if they even take this debuff into account. It's not likely to be important, considering reduced healing is automatically put by DPS warriors and maybe other classes. 

 

So don't overthink it. Just use a pet with a buff your raid is missing. If all buffs are present, consider using a pet with a Battle Rez (moth or crane) or ancient hysteria, also known as bloodlust (sporebat I think). 

 

#2 Correct, this is what you should be doing. 

 

#3 Yes, Arcane Shot multistrikes also reapply Serpent Sting, causing a "free" full damage tick. This is one of the reasons why multistrike is so good for SV hunters. 

 

Glaive Toss - ugh, don't even bother with it until it gets buffed in 6.1. The DPS increase is non-existent. Just default to Barrage and cast it in AOE situations. 

[Caldwell 0]

#1 - Pets can no longer do crowd control. They can only snare (slow). The only other debuff a pet can place is reduced healing. This can be useful on bosses with healing abilities, but I'm not sure if they even take this debuff into account. It's not likely to be important, considering reduced healing is automatically put by DPS warriors and maybe other classes. 

 

So don't overthink it. Just use a pet with a buff your raid is missing. If all buffs are present, consider using a pet with a Battle Rez (moth or crane) or ancient hysteria, also known as bloodlust (sporebat I think). 

 

#2 Correct, this is what you should be doing. 

 

#3 Yes, Arcane Shot multistrikes also reapply Serpent Sting, causing a "free" full damage tick. This is one of the reasons why multistrike is so good for SV hunters. 

 

Glaive Toss - ugh, don't even bother with it until it gets buffed in 6.1. The DPS increase is non-existent. Just default to Barrage and cast it in AOE situations. 

#1 I see, well that clears a lot up, thank you.

About Glaive toss, it is not even good in single target situations? Like if TotH is active, an arcane shot would be better focus wise than Glaive Toss ?

If so, what about barrage, should it only be used when 2 or more targets are present, and up until then it would stay idle ?

[Niix 169]

#1 I see, well that clears a lot up, thank you.

About Glaive toss, it is not even good in single target situations? Like if TotH is active, an arcane shot would be better focus wise than Glaive Toss ?

If so, what about barrage, should it only be used when 2 or more targets are present, and up until then it would stay idle ?

 

Check the pinned guide.

[Iridar 80]

#1 I see, well that clears a lot up, thank you.

About Glaive toss, it is not even good in single target situations? Like if TotH is active, an arcane shot would be better focus wise than Glaive Toss ?

If so, what about barrage, should it only be used when 2 or more targets are present, and up until then it would stay idle ?

On purely single target encounters without movement casting Glaive Toss at all is a DPS loss. 

 

You would cast it only in situations when all of this is true:

• you don't have anything else to cast due to low focus / cooldowns
• you have to move due to a raid mechanic (so you can't cast a Focusing Shot
• you need to save Aspect of the Fox to help your raid later, so you can't use it for yourself to allow you to cast Focusing Shot
• you already threw an Explosive Trap

All of this lines up not that rarely, but unless you're a hunter prodigy, it's hard to execute properly without messing up something, and even then it's a tini-tiny DPS boost over not even bothering. 

 

Barrage can be a DPS boost on single target, but, just like with GT, it's hard to use properly, and the reward is tiny. 

Using Barrage on single target is a DPS boost if:

• Serpent Sting doesn't need refreshing
• You will not delay Black Arrow / A Murder of Crows / Explosive Shot by casting Barrage even for a second
• You have no Thrill of the Hunt proc currently, and no multistrike procs of any kind (Scales of Doom / Weapon Scope Enchant). 

[Caldwell 0]

Thank you for your constructive feedback, everything is clear to me now. Thank you !