by Gordon D Easingwood

Created on: April 06, 2010   Last Updated: June 23, 2010

Hunters are one of World of Warcraft's ranged damage classes.  They are unusual as they are the only class to use weapons such as guns, bows and crossbows to inflict major damage from afar.   Hunters have a range of unique spells and abilities and also have pets which are always active that they can use in a variety of roles from tanking to causing extra damage.  For more information on pet types look

here.

Usable weapons and armour

Hunters start with the ability to wear up to leather armour, at level forty they can learn the skill to wear mail armour.  Hunters can use one and two handed swords and axes, daggers, staves and fist weapons.  They can use the following ranged weapons bows, crossbows, guns and thrown weapon (though as they cannot use their skills with thrown weapons it is a little pointless).  Some of these skills will have to be learnt from trainers in the major cities.

Leveling

Hunters are one of the easiest classes to level in world of warcraft due to their pets, which they use to tank mobs as well as inflicting damage.  At level 10 hunters learn how to tame beasts to use and train as pets. They also have some unique abilities such a feign death which will enable them to escape from many tricky situations.  The beast master specialisation that enhances pet’s abilities and powers is useful for levelling up.

Group role

Hunters are a ranged damage class with extra utility, with there misdirect ability they are able to pull mobs to the tank or add extra threat.  With feign death a well-played hunter will never pull threat unless they want to.  They have a ranged taunt, which can buy precious seconds.  Also depending on spec they have some limited spell interrupting abilities.  Hunters also have some good crowd control in the form of traps, particularly freezing trap and arrow that freezes a mob in place.

Specialisation

Like all classes, hunters have three areas they may specialise into:

Beast master:  This increases the power and abilities of both pet and their owners.  It also grants the pet abilities they cannot otherwise get and at high level allows the training of exotic pet types.  This specialisation looses out on some damage at high levels but is by far the best for leveling.

Marksman: This increases the hunters ranged attacks and provides a number of special shots such as silencing shot to further enhance the hunters.  It also gives the hunter true shot aura which boosts other members of the groups attack power, though this conflicts with some other classes abilities.

Survival:  Increases the hunters survivability and effectiveness of their melee and trap skills.  Includes wyvern sting, which causes the target to drop into a deep sleep for a time and scatter shot a short ranged disorientation effect.  Ranged damage is also good due to black arrow and explosive shot.

Main stats

Main stats for hunters are hit (to max), agility, attack power and crit all these increase ranged attack power and therefore damage output.  Both intellect and stamina are also useful icreasing hitpoints allowing you to survive longer and intellect increase mana letting you use more of your spells and abilities.

Ammunition

Hunters must carry round ammunition for whatever ranged weapon they are currently using.  Thankfully, Blizzard how now increased stack sizes to 1000, however this will still take up a few bag spaces that other classes would have free.  You must also have the right kind of ammunition meaning that when you acquire a new weapon it is necessary to change you ammunition type (arrows or bullets).

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