Survival Hunter DPS Guide — The War Within (11.0.5)
Welcome to our Survival Hunter guide for World of Warcraft — The War Within (11.0.5). Here, you will learn how to play as a Survival Hunter in both raids and Mythic+ dungeons: from the very beginning to maximizing your DPS.
If you were looking for WotLK Classic content, please refer to our WotLK Classic Survival Hunter guide.
Survival Hunter Overview
Survival Hunter is a highly flexible Melee DPS spec that can also do solid damage from ranged. It is a jack-of-all-trades melee with powerful single-target and AoE options, often within the same build. Survival Hunter got a massive rework in The War Within that has massively improved its stock, and there is no better time to give it a try!
Strengths and Weaknesses
- All-round DPS
- Highly versatile without major build changes.
- Good self-sustain with a Ferocity pet for Leech.
- Competes with other Melee specs for raid spots that have stronger raid utility.
- Poorer-than-deserved community perception.
What Is The Best Hunter Spec in The War Within Season 1?
This section is not specific to Survival Hunter, but serves as a general overview of the strongest Hunter specs in the current meta in The War Within. It should go without saying that if you are not especially interested in the hardcore, competitive side of WoW, you need not worry about this section. The game is meant to be fun, and you should play whatever spec you enjoy the most. It just happens that for a lot of people, "the most fun spec" and "the best-performing spec" are one and the same.
Best Hunter Raiding Spec in The War Within Season 1
Despite this ranking, there really is no such thing as a singular, best Raiding Spec for Hunters. In other words, if you want to be the best Hunter you can be, you will almost certainly have to be able to play different specs for different encounters. Think of this particular ranking as "If I could only bring one Hunter spec to Raid, which would it be?". Despite this, each Hunter spec is likely the best for at least one encounter, even the "worst" spec, so take this with a grain of salt.
Note that this description is based on Heroic-Mythic gear, and is intended for serious Raiding.
- Survival Hunter (SV) — The strongest single-target, the second-strongest outright AoE, and the strongest single- target/priority damage in its AoE build by far. Survival's only disadvantage is being melee, and while it may not be able to reach its single-target potential as BM, it makes up for this in other departments and is an excellent all-rounder.
- Marksmanship Hunter (MM) — MM is competitive for single-target, but a chunk behind Survival still. While it does have the highest peak AoE, its single- and priority-target damage in its AoE build is rather poor.
- Beast Mastery Hunter (BM) — A decent all-rounder, but ultimately falls short of the other specs in all departments when push comes to shove.
Best Hunter Mythic+ Spec in The War Within Season 1
- Survival Hunter (SV) — SV does not have the strongest outright AoE, which belongs to Marksmanship, but it has substantially more single-target and priority-target damage while doing very respectable AoE at the same time. It also has 6% built-in damage reduction, and a shorter cooldown on its interrupt.
- Marksmanship Hunter (MM)/Beast Mastery Hunter (BM) — Both specs are strong in different departments, with MM having the strongest AoE, but relatively weak single-target and priority-target damage, and BM sacrificing some AoE to do better than MM in single-target and priority-target terms.
Best Hunter Delves Spec in The War Within Season 1
- Beast Mastery Hunter (BM) — While BM does not have a ton of AoE, it still has the best ability to make large pulls without taking breaks in-between by using its pet to tank things. BM Hunter Pets survive solo-content much better thanks to Ferocity Pets having 4% Leech, and all of that Leech going into healing itself. A disadvantage in most other forms of content, but a distinct advantage for solo content. This is more of a benefit when actually soloing Delves, and for group Delves you will likely prefer Survival.
- Survival Hunter (SV) — SV has the best damage outright, but lacks the ability to make and live through large pulls that Beast Mastery has. If you are doing group delves, which are pretty similar to Mythic+, then SV is the best.
- Marksmanship Hunter (MM) — MM has the worst self-sustain and while its AoE damage is good, it frequently has to stand still to cast and has very poor ability to live through large pulls, since everything will probably be attacking you.
Hunter Spec Utility/Defensiveness
The Hunter Specs are broadly similar in this department, but there are a few ways in which the specs stand out from each other.
- Survival Hunter has 3% damage reduction built into its Mastery: Spirit Bond, and while some of its damage is pet-based, most if it is not, and Leech generally does well for Survival Hunter, allowing it to use a Ferocity Pet for the +4% Leech, giving it the most self-sustain of the Hunter specs. With a lot of Hunter Utility being melee-based, like Bursting Shot, or trap-based, like Implosive Trap, Survival tends to have an easier time making good use of this utility in practical situations.
- Beast Mastery Hunter has access to Spirit Beast Pets, which offer Spirit Mend. It is a pretty small, close-to-free heal that can be used on any target, on a 30-second cooldown. As for downsides, Beast Mastery tends to run very low Versatility, resulting in higher damage taken on average than the other two specs. It also barely benefits from Leech, because most of its damage is pet-based, Leech for Beast Mastery Hunters tends to heal the pet more than the Hunter, which is not very useful in most PvE environments. With BM Hunters usually running Tenacity pets, they innately have 5% more max HP than the other two specs, most of the time.
- Marksmanship Hunter gets the short end of the stick in many ways. Due to its near-mandatory Lone Wolf Talent, it usually does not run a pet, which locks it out of some pet-based survivability, because it has no easy access to either Tenacity's 5% Max HP buff, or Ferocity's 4% Leech buff. It has Fortitude of the Bear as baseline, even without a pet.
Survival Hunter Spec and Guide Changes for the War Within
Changes to Survival Hunter in The War Within Patch 11.0.5
The War Within Patch 11.0.5 Changes to Survival Hunter
Hunter Class Changes
Hunter's Class Tree has had one key adjustment.
- Improved Kill Shot has been replaced by Deathblow, which gives Kill Command a 10% chance to give you a free Kill Shot, usably on any target regardless of health.
Survival-specific Changes
Survival's Talent Tree has had significant adjustments, with some whole new Talents, and others having been redesigned.
- Ruthless Marauder has been redesigned — Fury of the Eagle's damage is increased by 10% and damage from Fury of the Eagle has a 20% chance to generate a stack of Tip of the Spear. When Fury of the Eagle ends, your Haste is increased by 8% for 10 seconds. Now a 1-point talent.
- Merciless Blows has been redesigned — Butchery causes affected targets to bleed for heavy damage over 8 seconds.
- Sic 'Em has been updated — Kill Command's chance to grant Deathblow is increased to 15% and Deathblow now makes Kill Shot strike up to 2 additional targets. Your chance to gain Deathblow is doubled during Coordinated Assault.
- Exposed Flank has been updated — Now empowers your next Kill Command to deal 50% increased damage, strike 3 targets, and generate a Tip of the Spear stack for each target it hits.
- Grenade Juggler has been updated — Now resets the cooldown of Explosive Shot instead of automatically firing it.
- Butchery damage increased by 50%.
- Butchery no longer has charges and its cooldown has been increased to 15 seconds.
- Fury of the Eagle damage increased by 25%.
- Fury of the Eagle channel time reduced to 3 seconds (was 4 seconds).
- Fury of the Eagle now consumes a stack of Tip of the Spear when the channel begins, and the damage bonus will persist for the duration of the channel.
- Kill Command resets no longer reduce the cooldown of Fury of the Eagle.
- Tip of the Spear's consumption grace period has been reduced to 0.3 seconds (was 0.7 seconds).
- Relentless Primal Ferocity now grants 2 additional stacks of Tip of the Spear (was 1).
- Frenzy Strikes Wildfire Bomb cooldown reduction per target hit increased to 3 seconds (was 1 second).
- Killer Companion now increases Kill Command's damage by 10/20% (was 5/10%).
- Bombardier's aura is now removed at more reasonable times.
- Spearhead's cast animation now blends with other animations.
- Spearhead will no longer go on cooldown if the pet is out of range.
- Ranger and Terms of Engagement have swapped positions in the talent tree.
- Harpoon will now find an appropriate destination during the Rasha'nan fight in The Dawnbreaker dungeon.
Pack Leader Hero Talent Changes for Survival Hunter
- Howl of the Pack now also increases Wildfire Bomb damage by 20%.
- Wild Attacks now also increases the damage of Raptor Strike/ Mongoose Bite by 20%.
Leveling a Survival Hunter in The War Within
If you want to play a Survival Hunter, but currently do not have one at max level, you can check out our leveling guide for tips on your journey.
Once you reach max level, it can be somewhat overwhelming to completely change the way you play by suddenly implementing a large number of addons in a short space of time, especially if they have a heavy visual impact on your UI. We recommend using some of the more basic addons recommended on our Addons page below while leveling, so that you have more time to get used to them during the easier phases of playing your class.
Basics of Survival Hunter Gameplay
Survival Hunter is a spec about buff and cooldown management at the same time.
Between most abilities, you want to weave a Kill Command in for the Tip of the Spear stacks it generates. The goal is to have Tip of the Spear cover as many of your non-Kill Command abilities as possible, such as Wildfire Bomb, and Raptor Strike/ Mongoose Bite.
The rotation is very dynamic, fast-paced, and busy. The best Survival Hunters know the spec's priorities like the back of their hand and are always able to make the correct ability decision on the fly, even when many mechanics are vying for your attention simultaneously.
If you are an absolute beginner to the spec, but would like to learn the basic fundamentals of the class, recommend looking through the Spell Summary first, as well as the Beginner page linked below.
If you are already somewhat familiar with Hunters, you can head straight to the Talents and Rotation pages to jump right into the more complex, detailed information.
How to Gear Up as a Survival Hunter
Despite the fact that gearing has become more challenging, due to the huge number of variables that depend on your character, you can find information on how best to gear as Survival on our dedicated gearing page, which includes the current Best in Slot from this tier.
Once you have started to gear, you will need to make sure that you have the appropriate consumables, gems, enchants, and more. We have a dedicated page for exactly this, as shown below, as well as the stats page, where you can find more information on the possibility of a changing stat priority and the necessary changes you may need to make for consumables.
End-Game as a Survival Hunter
Starting off as Survival can look very different from the absolute end-game raiding and progression as one. Our Mythic+, Raiding, and PvP guides can guide you to performing as well as possible, regardless of your focus in end-game content.
Improving as a Survival Hunter
If you are finding your performance lackluster, but are not sure where you are going wrong, you can check out the pages below for potential tips, or answers to questions you may have.
Changelog
- 30 Oct. 2024 (hero talents): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (Leveling): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (FAQ page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (FAQ page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (how to improve page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (simulations page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (gear page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (addons page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (enchants page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (stats page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (Nerub-ar Palace page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (rotation page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (talents page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (spells page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (easy mode page): Updated for October 29 Hotfixes.
- 30 Oct. 2024 (this page): Updated Best Spec Section for hotfixes.
- 26 Oct. 2024 (this page): Reinstated the Best Spec section.
- 25 Oct. 2024 (rotation page): Updated the AoE rotations, simplifying them in the process.
- 23 Oct. 2024 (rotation page): Updated AoE Opener.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (hero talents): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (gear page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (Nerub-ar Palace page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 22 Oct. 2024 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 11.0.5.
- 08 Oct. 2024 (talents page): Updated for October 8th Hotfixes.
- 08 Oct. 2024 (this page): Updated the "Best Hunter Spec" section for the updated October 8th Hotfixes.
- 05 Oct. 2024 (enchants page): Expanded on Weapon Enchant choices.
- 02 Oct. 2024 (gear page): Updated the BiS Trinkets for pure single-target.
- 02 Oct. 2024 (rotation page): Added more specific Trinket usage information.
- 29 Sep. 2024 (Nerub-ar Palace page): Recommend an alternative single-target build by default.
- 29 Sep. 2024 (talents page): Added an alternative single-target build.
- 27 Sep. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated Ara-Kara Tips.
- 21 Sep. 2024 (stats page): Updated Stat Priority.
- 20 Sep. 2024 (gear page): Updated the Trinket Tier List and Best Trinkets after re-evaluations and simulation tools maturing.
- 13 Sep. 2024 (gear page): Added note about double-Dawnthread Lining not working and how to fix it.
- 13 Sep. 2024 (Nerub-ar Palace page): Re-visited the best builds on every boss after Heroic experience and made some changes.
- 13 Sep. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated and clarified some tips.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (hero talents): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (Leveling): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (FAQ page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (FAQ page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (how to improve page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (simulations page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (gear page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (addons page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (enchants page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (stats page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (Nerub-ar Palace page): Guide added.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (mythic+ page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (rotation page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (talents page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (spells page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (easy mode page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 09 Sep. 2024 (this page): Preliminary update for The War Within Season 1.
- 27 Aug. 2024 (gear page): Added a note about Crafted gear to the Pre-Season BiS List.
- 27 Aug. 2024 (talents page): Updated the "short-term burst" AoE Build to be default for pre-season.
- 26 Aug. 2024 (rotation page): Small, various fixes, mainly to pure ST build opener.
- 24 Aug. 2024 (talents page): Added a recommended Delves build.
- 23 Aug. 2024 (this page): Re-introduced a section talking about the Best Hunter Specs in the War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (hero talents): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (Leveling): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (FAQ page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (simulations page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (gear page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (addons page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (enchants page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (stats page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (rotation page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (talents page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (spells page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (easy mode page): Updated for The War Within.
- 22 Aug. 2024 (this page): Updated for The War Within.
- 02 Aug. 2024 (hero talents): Page added.
- 30 Jul. 2024 (rotation page): Updated the rotations and openers with small optimizations, primarily to do with holding Explosive Shot for Spearhead/Coordinated Assault.
- 29 Jul. 2024 (rotation page): Updated the single-target opener to apply Serpent Sting early on, for Outland Venom.
- 28 Jul. 2024 (rotation page): Implemented rotational DPS optimizations from the Survival Hunter Discord.
- 26 Jul. 2024 (talents page): Added Talent Builds for players using the Season 3 Tier Set, which is optimal.
- 25 Jul. 2024 (gear page): Updated the BiS Trinkets, Crafting List, BiS List, and more.
- 25 Jul. 2024 (rotation page): Updated and simplified the rotation.
- 25 Jul. 2024 (talents page): Updated the M+ Build in light of Bloody Claws not working in prepatch as it does on Beta.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (MoP Remix): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (Leveling): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (FAQ page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (simulations page): Reviewed for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (gear page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (addons page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (enchants page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (stats page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (rotation page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (talents page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (spells page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (easy mode page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 23 Jul. 2024 (this page): Updated for The War Within Pre-Patch.
- 26 Jun. 2024 (The War Within): Updated for the June 25th changes.
- 18 Jun. 2024 (The War Within): Page added.
- 29 May 2024 (MoP Remix): Updated Tinker Gem recommendations.
- 20 May 2024 (MoP Remix): Updated Tinker Gem rankings based on live server power levels.
- 17 May 2024 (MoP Remix): Updated Tinker and Cogwheel Gem recommendations in light of recent changes and new information.
- 14 May 2024 (MoP Remix): Page added.
- 12 May 2024 (mythic+ page): Added Misdirection to the M+ Build by default.
- 12 May 2024 (talents page): Added Misdirection to the M+ Build by default.
- 11 May 2024 (mythic+ page): Added section on how to survive the highest of keys with Tank Trinkets and Embellishments.
- 07 May 2024 (Leveling): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (simulations page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (addons page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (enchants page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (stats page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (rotation page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (talents page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (spells page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (easy mode page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 07 May 2024 (this page): Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 03 May 2024 (mythic+ page): Added tip for Chargath in Neltharus.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (Leveling): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (simulations page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (addons page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (enchants page): Updated for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (stats page): Updated for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (rotation page): Updated for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (talents page): Updated for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (spells page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Season 4.
- 22 Apr. 2024 (this page): Updated for Season 4.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.6.
- 19 Mar. 2024 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.2.6.
- 29 Jan. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated the default M+ build to a No-CD Build.
- 29 Jan. 2024 (talents page): Updated the default M+ build to a No-CD Build.
- 29 Jan. 2024 (easy mode page): Updated the default M+ build to a No-CD Build.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (FAQ page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (WeakAuras page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (FAQ page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5
- 15 Jan. 2024 (how to improve page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (simulations page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (addons page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5
- 15 Jan. 2024 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5
- 15 Jan. 2024 (stats page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (spells page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 15 Jan. 2024 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5
- 15 Jan. 2024 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.2.5.
- 18 Dec. 2023 (mythic+ page): Added Mythic+ Dungeon Tips.
- 28 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated the Mythic+ Talent Build.
- 28 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Updated the ST and Mythic+ Talent Builds.
- 12 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Added a T30 Mythic+ Build.
- 12 Nov. 2023 (rotation page): Added missing Wildfire Bomb line to the ST rotation.
- 12 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Added a T30 Mythic+ Build.
- 09 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Small change to the Mythic+ build, for more single-target.
- 09 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Small change to the Mythic+ build, for more single-target.
- 07 Nov. 2023 (rotation page): Fixed an issue where Wildfire Bomb would not appear in the ST rotation with the AoE build.
- 06 Nov. 2023 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (FAQ page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (WeakAuras page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (stats page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (spells page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 06 Nov. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.2
- 04 Sep. 2023 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (talents page): Restructured the page and updated for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 04 Sep. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 17 Jul. 2023 (rotation page): Updated the AoE rotation and opener significantly in light of recent APL updates, and added on-use Trinkets to the rotation.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (addons page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (rotation page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 10 Jul. 2023 (this page): Updated for Patch 10.1.5.
- 29 Jun. 2023 (rotation page): Updated the Death Chakram line in the single-target rotation.
- 23 Jun. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated the Mythic+ Builds in light of recent APL changes.
- 23 Jun. 2023 (talents page): Updated the AoE and AoE No CD Builds in light of recent APL changes.
- 16 Jun. 2023 (rotation page): Significant rotational overhaul with new checkboxes, a new feature that lets you select checkbox presets, and a variety of changes to both the single-target and AoE rotations.
- 15 Jun. 2023 (rotation page): Removed the top line of the AoE Rotation, thereby reducing the priority of maintaining the 4PC Debuff on AoE.
- 13 Jun. 2023 (addons page): Removed the FoTE Bloodseeker Macro as the bug was fixed and it is no longer needed.
- 13 Jun. 2023 (rotation page): Removed the FoTE Bloodseeker Macro as the bug was fixed and it is no longer needed.
- 13 Jun. 2023 (easy mode page): Updated the Easy Mode rotation and builds to be easier to follow.
- 03 Jun. 2023 (rotation page): Updated the AoE opener slightly.
- 03 Jun. 2023 (this page): Updated the blurb about spec viability, and updated the Strengths and Weaknesses.
- 02 Jun. 2023 (mythic+ page): Significant updates to the talent builds, both in terms of what is recommended for Fortified/Tyrannical, and the talent builds in themselves.
- 27 May 2023 (mythic+ page): Added separate Fortified, Tyrannical, and Cooldown Builds for Survival Mythic+.
- 26 May 2023 (rotation page): Updated the AoE opener significantly to better reflect the AoE rotation change.
- 26 May 2023 (talents page): Added a Bombardier and Spearhead Build.
- 25 May 2023 (addons page): Added a cancelaura Bloodseeker Macro for Fury of the Eagle.
- 25 May 2023 (rotation page): Important AoE Rotation Update, and updated the default checkboxes, and added information about an important Fury of the Eagle Macro.
- 22 May 2023 (enchants page): Updated the recommended Leg Enchant, as it was found that the Lambent Armor Kit does not provide Stamina as it was assumed.
- 19 May 2023 (talents page): Updated the layout of the page.
- 13 May 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated the recommended AoE/Mythic+ Talents.
- 13 May 2023 (rotation page): Small wording change in the 4PC Rotation Line.
- 13 May 2023 (talents page): Updated the recommended AoE/Mythic+ Talents.
- 12 May 2023 (enchants page): Updated the recommended food and Leg enchant.
- 02 May 2023 (enchants page): Updated the recommended Weapon Rune/Temporary Enchant.
- 01 May 2023 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (talents page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 01 May 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.1.
- 11 Apr. 2023 (this page): Updated the spec rankings to account for new nerfs.
- 23 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated the recommended Gemstones after sim updates, and the discovery of a new, powerful combination.
- 23 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Yet another update to the recommended Gemstones based on a slew of hotfixes.
- 21 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated the Onyx Annulet Information in light of the March 21st buff.
- 21 Mar. 2023 (this page): Updated with spec rankings for different types of damage.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (Legendaries): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (enchants page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (mythic+ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (rotation page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (talents page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (spells page): Updated for Patch 10.0.7.
- 20 Mar. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (Leveling): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (simulations page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (addons page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (stats page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (mythic+ page): Updated the recommended M+ Build.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (rotation page): Small rotational fixes.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Updated the recommended M+ build.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (spells page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (easy mode page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 24 Jan. 2023 (this page): Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 08 Jan. 2023 (talents page): Updated the recommendation status of Lunge, and re-checked Talents for correctness in light of recent buffs.
- 06 Jan. 2023 (FAQ page): Added page.
- 04 Jan. 2023 (enchants page): Updated the recommended Phial.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (Leveling): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (WeakAuras page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (enchants page): Updated the recommendation and description of the optimal Flasks/Phials.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Rotational update for the Set Bonus.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (rotation page): Updated Harpoon's role in the rotation.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 11 Dec. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 30 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated mentions of Kill Command having 2 charges in the priority to "cap charges" to encompass both situations with and without Alpha Predator.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (Leveling): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (WeakAuras page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (FAQ page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (how to improve page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (simulations page): Reviewed for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 28 Nov. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 29 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated the Venthyr Mythic+ Build Talents.
- 29 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated the recommended low-target AoE Venthyr build further.
- 27 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated the recommended low-target AoE build and fixed an issue with the string.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): Updated descriptions.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Added a Kyrian build that is superior for heavy AoE keys.
- 26 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Added a Kyrian-based Talent Build that emphasizes strong burst, primarily for high-target Mythic+ keys.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Leveling): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Legendaries): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Torghast): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Covenants and Soulbinds): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (WeakAuras page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (FAQ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (how to improve page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (simulations page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (addons page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (enchants page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (stats page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Castle Nathria page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Sanctum of Domination page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (Sepulcher of the First Ones page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (mythic+ page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (rotation page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (talents page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (spells page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (easy mode page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 24 Oct. 2022 (this page): Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
- 15 Jan. 2022 (Patch 9.2 Analysis): Page added with initial thoughts and information.
- 01 Nov. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Reviewed and approved for Patch 9.1.5.
- 13 Jul. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Updated thoughts on all of the Covenant-specific Legendaries, and added the July 13th Hunter Buffs to the changes.
- 10 Jun. 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Added information about the Venthyr-specific Legendary.
- 12 May 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Added information about 4 new Covenant-specific Legendaries and updated some of the "highlighted" Soulbind Abilities.
- 03 May 2021 (Patch 9.1 Analysis): Page created with initial information.
- 12 Oct. 2020 (Ny'alotha page): Page updated for the Shadowlands pre-patch.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 Jan. 2020 (The Eternal Palace page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.3 and no changes are necessary.
- 25 Oct. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added tips for Mythic TEP Bosses for Survival. Thank you to Thyminde for providing most of the tips!.
- 23 Aug. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Added tips for more bosses.
- 08 Jul. 2019 (The Eternal Palace page): Page added.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 24 Jun. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): This page has been reviewed for the release of Patch 8.2 and no changes are necessary.
- 13 May 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added Survival tips for Uu'nat.
- 01 May 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Added Survival tips for The Restless Cabal.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for Crucible of Storms and no changes are necessary.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): This page has been reviewed for Crucible of Storms and no changes are necessary.
- 14 Apr. 2019 (Crucible of Storms page): Guide added.
- 21 Jan. 2019 (Battle of Dazar'alor page): Added boss tips for Survival Hunter in Battle of Dazar'alor.
- 10 Dec. 2018 (Uldir page): This page has been reviewed for Patch 8.1 and no changes are necessary.
- 03 Sep. 2018 (Uldir page): Added content to the page.
- 12 Aug. 2018 (Uldir page): Page added (empty for now).
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This guide has been written by Azortharion, a Hunter Guidewriter, Theorycrafter, and top player since 2014, who is widely considered one of the best PvE Hunters in the world. He is an accomplished player with hundreds of top parses across all Hunter specs. He is the Head Admin of Trueshot Lodge, the official Hunter Class Discord. You can find him on his stream on Twitch and his channel on YouTube. He also has his own, personal Discord server where you can freely ask him any Hunter questions you may have!
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