Hunter

Overview

Hunters are ranged physical damage dealers with a loyal, tameable pet. They excel at kiting, use traps and aspects for utility, and top the DPS charts in vanilla raids. The key skill is managing the close-range "dead zone" where you can't shoot. They rely on ammo and pet food.

Specializations

Beast MasteryRanged DPS

Turns your pet into a real damage source with Bestial Wrath and Frenzy. Great for leveling and solo play.

MarksmanshipRanged DPS

Maximizes your own shot damage (Aimed Shot, Trueshot Aura, Mortal Shots). The premier raid-DPS build.

SurvivalUtility / DPS

Agility, traps and melee tools; strong utility and PvP, more niche in PvE.

Signature abilities

Tame BeastCapture and keep a pet that fights alongside you.

Aimed / Multi / Arcane ShotCore shots for single-target and cleave.

Serpent StingDamage-over-time on the target.

TrapsFreezing, Frost and Explosive Trap for crowd control and damage.

AspectsHawk (damage), Cheetah (speed), Monkey (dodge) and more.

Feign DeathDrop combat to shed aggro or fake your death.

Rapid FireA big attack-speed burst cooldown.

Mend Pet / Revive PetKeep your companion healthy and alive.

Playable races

🔵 Alliance

DwarfNight Elf

🔴 Horde

OrcTaurenTroll

• Orc (Horde) - Blood Fury and a pet damage bonus (Command) - the top Horde hunter.
• Troll (Horde) - Berserking haste and Bow Specialization for excellent DPS.
• Night Elf (Alliance) - Shadowmeld and Quickness (dodge); strong for PvP.
• Dwarf (Alliance) - Gun Specialization and Stoneform.

Armor & weapons

Strengths & weaknesses

Tips for Hunters

• Level Beast Mastery; keep your pet fed and happy for max damage.
• Always carry the right ammo and a stack of pet food.
• Use Freezing Trap + kiting to solo tough elites.
• Weave auto-shots between abilities and respect the dead zone.