Survival Hunter Rotation and Stats questions

[kayleee 0]

I have two questions regarding Survival Hunters.

In your guide, you mention that the shot priority is Explosive Shot and then Kill Shot (if available, of course). I've read this in a few other reputable places, but then, I've also seen some say that it's not true, including the other hunter in our guild (I asked him about this specifically, we don't sit around talking about rotations lol). These other people claim that if Explosive Shot is available, you should cast it ahead of ES.

So, without meaning to question your guide, which is it? And why is Explosive Shot ahead of Kill Shot?

Regarding stats, I wanted to ask what makes Crit better than Mastery. You even state in the guide that it increases basically all of your shots' damage except Kill Shot and auto attacks. I've always been sticking with Mastery stacking since Cataclysm came out, even since leveling, since it's what I was told then, and it's been working great for me. But again, I'm happy to defer to your knowledge. I'd just like to know why (since the guide doesn't state it).

Awesome guide otherwise, helped me understand my rotation a lot more clearly and very complete overall.

[Alierya 94]

I would always cast KS ahead of ES (unless it was the free proc and that would only be because I got excited by the shiny shiny). I however am mm main spec and only use surv when it is a aoe fight. I am aware than surv is better overall at the moment, I just don't like it as much... and I can beat the guild's surv hunter in a straight dps race so it is all good.

The anoying this is you can't play about with target dummys to see what is better.

This is quite a good simulator if you have not come across it: http://www.femaledwarf.com/

Bob in your stats; use both shot priors and see which one should give you more damage.

Then change your stats to compare if you should be stacking crit or mastery. I would also then look at the rotation again because this may impact it.

Bit of a fiddle though you can import your toon which makes it easier.

I also would go mastery>crit so I would be interested to see the results...

[Vlad 411]

I've been fiddling around with my hunter in femaledwarf, and the information in our guide holds true.

First of all, femaledwarf attributes a much higher stat weight to Critical Strike Rating than to Masery Rating. I modified my gear to prioritise Mastery, and ran the simulation, and it resulted in a rather hefty DPS loss.

Secondly, femaledwarf's default Survival priority places Explosive Shot above Kill Shot. I switched their place in the priority and ran the simulation, and the result was a (very very minor) DPS loss.

So, kaylee, to answer you. We believe that it is better to prioritise Explosive Shot over Kill Shot, and it will net you a very small DPS gain (ES hits harder, and you want to absolutely maximise the amount of times you get to cast it). However, this situation will only arise a few times per encounter and, overall, it isn't something that will be noticeable at the end of the fight.

Yes, you are correct that Mastery Rating increases all damage done by Survival Hunters with the exception of auto shots and Kill Shot. But Critical Strike Rating is a better stat. Why? I don't know, but both theorycrafting and practice show that Critical Strike Rating does more damage. It's just a bigger DPS gain than Mastery.

[Damien 1,514]

I'm just bumping this so that my sticky doesn't appear as the "last post" in this section on the board index :P

[Tehstool 10]

I've been fiddling around with my hunter in femaledwarf, and the information in our guide holds true.

First of all, femaledwarf attributes a much higher stat weight to Critical Strike Rating than to Masery Rating. I modified my gear to prioritise Mastery, and ran the simulation, and it resulted in a rather hefty DPS loss.

Secondly, femaledwarf's default Survival priority places Explosive Shot above Kill Shot. I switched their place in the priority and ran the simulation, and the result was a (very very minor) DPS loss.

So, kaylee, to answer you. We believe that it is better to prioritise Explosive Shot over Kill Shot, and it will net you a very small DPS gain (ES hits harder, and you want to absolutely maximise the amount of times you get to cast it). However, this situation will only arise a few times per encounter and, overall, it isn't something that will be noticeable at the end of the fight.

Yes, you are correct that Mastery Rating increases all damage done by Survival Hunters with the exception of auto shots and Kill Shot. But Critical Strike Rating is a better stat. Why? I don't know, but both theorycrafting and practice show that Critical Strike Rating does more damage. It's just a bigger DPS gain than Mastery.

Crit and mastery are very close in terms of raw damage gain as said from here http://www.warcrafthuntersunion.com/2010/12/hunter-stat-scaling/

However, You have the meta. Crit works off of all of your abilities rather than however many are boosted by mastery and crit also has talents that work off of it, like go for the throat and sic 'em for example. Your pet also inherits your crit rating.