((Hunter Talents))

[Heng Arikana]

We have many talented and wise hunters in this guild, and, while this might appear to be a strange question as I approach my 60th season, I am wondering the best way to re-distribute my talent points.

I am asking now because I recently realized that I did not have enough talent points put into my Marksmanship tree to get Trueshot Aura. TA appears to be one of those 'gotta have' talents, so I have to re-arrange my talents in order to get it. I figured I get some advice from the pros before I did so (I've never done so before).

I've done my research - many suggest the 21/30 (Marks/Survival) build, especially since I do not PvP (though I'd like for this to change also). And perhaps that should be the end of it...however I currently have points in Beast Mastery which I feel should be kept because I PvE alot and would have great benefit to my group (such as Endurance Training, which increases my pet's HP, and Thick Hide which increase her AC). Bestial Swiftness and Ferocity seem rather important, especially considering that, through level 59, my pet has been our main tank.

Of course, once I turn level 60 and hunting for exp becomes a non-factor, these pet abilities might not be important at all. Also, I hope to hunt more often with groups, where my pet won't be the main tank but warriors like Val will. That would negate the need for my pet to be buffed.

Any suggestions would be very helpful. I know that Survival skills such as Deflection, Improved Wing Clip, Deterrance and Survivalist are very important, but for some reason they seem less important since, as a hunter, I shouldn't often be the focus of a mobs aggro (if I'm doing my job right, that is). The trap skills do seem important, however, and that's where I'm at a loss.

Thanks guys!

Heng

[Arlon]

I was a beast master build until i hit 60 when i rearranged my talents also. I still miss beastial wrath though... seeing my large red kitty tearing through mages pajamas in the battlegrounds was just fun to watch, but I digress.

My current build is 5/31/17. I left 5 points in Improved Aspect of the Hawk, Marksmen up to Trueshot aura, and survival to get the crit bonuses and stamina increase. But again, this all has to do with your playing style. There is no "Best" build, it is all in how you want your character to be and how you play. I don't have my exact build infront of me since i am at work but if you have any questions, feel free to ask away anytime. That is what friends are for and boy do we have a lot of hunters in the guild... LOL

[Celera]

I think all the guild's hunters are marksmen now. Some of us tried going to 31 points in survival, but I don't think anyone still has that build. Unless Finney does -- Finney is a more strategic hunter with the traps and the feigning and such, so if anyone can make good use of the talents in the survival tree I think it would be him.

It's my understanding that the Beastmaster spec is better for leveling and PVP. I never focused on it, though, and I don't PVP much so I haven't really looked at it in a long time.

Usually your pet will not be the main tank in a group, but sometimes a sturdy pet is a big help. I wouldn't discount the value of those talents to a group, and if you might PVP more, the BM spec may be a good choice.

I know you mostly use Ally and cats are great for DPS. After I got to 60 I added Nigel who is specced for max dps, and Falstaff, a boar whose training points are all in stamina and armor. I usually bring one of those to instances, depending on the class balance in the group, and keep Tim -- whose training is more balanced -- for soloing.

TSA is a great buff for the whole party -- but if you have multiple marksmen in a raid group there is redundancy. Still, since my main value in a group is DPS, I've focused my build on whatever enhances that, and TSA is pretty awesome.

Arlon's right though -- you have to choose the talents that work best with how you want to play. And, I'm afraid sometimes there is no substitute for spending a few gold trying out a couple of options.

[Emizael]

It seems we're all marksmen, really, I think even Finney has gone back that route, because, sadly, marksmen hunters are all about the Raid DPS.

I've also been a fan of the Beastmastery build, yet, not of survival. I've probably spent about 900 gold respeccing over and over, which is why I dun have an epic mount...

The best builds are always the builds that suit your playstyle. If you want to be the shooter, takes markman. If you want your pet to absolutely rule the night, take Beastmastery. (( one bonus of Beastmastery even if your pet isn't tanking, is the Feral Intimidate, or whatever its called now, where your pet stuns the mob...EXTREMELY useful if your priest gets aggro...)) Survival? Well, except for Lightning Reflexes, which bumps your agi by like 5% at max ranks, the bonus damage in the first tier abilities, which are like 3% vs beasts, dragons, and humanoids, I think, the improved traps just really aren't that special!

Finney's gifts with traps aside (( which are just supernatural and make me think he haxxors sometimes! )) Most of the time, your traps are either crowd control for one or two mobs, and then, perhaps just a tiny bit of extra dps, or the tiny aoe, but..mostly, traps just draw hate. Which is good if you want to kite a mob, but, not so good at later levels. I find I use traps in three places nowadays...

Soloing, and pulling two mobs...Freezing Trap.

Trapping during an instance to protect the clothies...Freezing Trap.

Trapping after having grabbed aggro and feigned death...Freezing trap.

Yeah...and I have been thinking about respeccing again, even..to get rid of trueshot aura, and take some of the Enhanced Endurance talents in Beastmastery, but ..the expansion is coming up again, and I might get to solo again to 70...

Which is ten more talent points...

Which, with another ten talent points, I can prolly solo lower blackrock, and get my shoulders, and then we can three man Drakk, till I get my chestpiece, and...gimme ten more levels, and I can conquer the world.

Heng, for not playing much, you have style, man. You have some skills also. I was watching you and Arlon running mobs around like the two of you were at a disco. You don't really need to change anything, just try to pick the talents that fit you best. You want your pet tougher? Make them tougher. You wanna shoot better? You know what to do.

One last point. Trueshot aura. Okay, this might be the best talent that a hunter gets, outside of Bestial Wrath. Just having a bonus 100 attack power may not seem that cool, to some, but they miss it when it's gone. I noticed, though, that 100 attack power isn't that great for us hunters, unless we can shoot. We're agility hogs. We're not meant for melee. Our melee weapons serve as only a nifty thing to hang enchants on, or to buff our attack powers, either by adding agility, stamina, some combo of both, or in the rare case of an intel buff, or just a general + to attack. Anything else, and the mob just tears you apart in melee anyways. This is what we have pets for. But for the shooting...

There, we are matchless. Fire away! You took aggro? Feign Death, and give it back to the tank, who, might just need a heal from the sleepy priest anyways! Plus, if a battle is going bad, your timely draw of aggro (( I hear other hunters hating me right now)) can save the party, even if it kills you! Got Jumper Cables? Not a requirement, but I can't tell you how many times that has saved a wipe.

Best advice? Just remember, play the way you want to. Also, don't forget the Disengage ability. BEST SPELL EVAR!

[Heng Arikana]

Thanks guys. To hear that I shouldn't go out of my way to follow a 'build' was actually very reassuring - Dara and I have very much 'winged' it to this point and would hate to change things now! I've heard that from level 1-59 you get to play your class, but at level 60 you have to play your 'role'...I was just concerned that by not following someone else's interpretation of what a hunter should be, I wouldn't be able to fulfill that role adequately. And with the new Lunari situation looming, it was becoming even more of a concern...first impressions can be lasting ones.

Arlon, Cel and Emi, thanks for your help. Emi, I did nothing brave or overtly skillful the other night except for following instructions (Val told us to run that mob around - that's not too hard). Still, in the end, he got me. And then I did a lava dive on the way back and Val had to come rescue me. /sigh

After being on the periphery for so long and not being able to play much, I really seem to learn something new about the game and even moreso about my thinking towards the game every day, and you guys have helped me and Dara so much. I especially owe so much to you who have mentored and tutored and been patient with me learning how to play this class.

I've altered my talents just to get TSA - I have nothing in survival at the moment and my cat is still the way she used to be: a tank to be reckoned with ("Alllyyyy!"). I'm just comfortable with her that way, and she fits in well with what Dara and I have done for the past 60 (yes, we're both now 60) levels.

Thank you all again! Here's hoping we can do more instances and such in the coming days/weeks/months. Even as our tag changes, our comraderie should not.

Heng

[Celera]

Congratulations on 60!!!

In a group, you do have to play your role, in a sense. It's not much use joining a group as a hunter and melee-ing your way through. Just like the rogue I saw the other night shooting everything, or the priest who says (after the instance is underway) that they don't want to heal.

As a hunter, I expect to be mostly doing as much damage as possible. I don't have any points in BM, but my pets are still effective to help the tank, save the priest, or just add to the dps count. I'm prepared to put down whatever traps will be useful, even though that isn't my specialty. If I was specced differently, I would pretty much do the same things I do now.

[Arlon]

Yeah, one our main functions in a group/raid is ranged DPS. Lots of it and as fast as possible. As you already know, feign death is our best friend. I just love seeing those huge numbers we can put out there and then falling over as soon as the mob looks at us the wrong way.