Hunter Class Guide — Class Guides · WoW Wrath of the Lich King
A ranged fighter in leather, and later mail, who fights at a distance with a bow, gun or crossbow, tames beasts as pets and controls enemies with traps and stings.
- Roles
- Damage
- Specializations
- 3
- Popular builds
- 6
- Version
- WoW Wrath of the Lich King
How the hunter plays
Hunters in Wrath gain Kill Shot (an execute), Aspect of the Dragonhawk, Master's Call and pet talent trees: Ferocity pets deal damage, Tenacity pets tank and Cunning pets bring utility. Beast Mastery can also tame exotic pets.
Every spec shoots from range with Auto Shot, Steady Shot and a set of special shots; Misdirection and Feign Death still handle threat.
Pets tank while you level, and the right pet family adds a raid buff or debuff.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Strong damage in every spec.
- Misdirection makes you the group's puller.
- Pet talent trees, and exotic pets for Beast Mastery.
- Kill Shot for the end of every fight.
Weaknesses
- Ammunition still needs buying.
- Mana management with Aspect of the Viper.
- Melee range is awkward against players.
Specializations
The specs compared
Each spec rated from 1 to 5 at what it does in WoW Wrath of the Lich King. Single and several targets mean damage for damage specs, healing for healers and threat for tanks; a spec's own guide names its ratings for its role.
| Rating |  Beast Mastery |  Marksmanship |  Survival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single target | |||
| Several targets | |||
| Survivability | |||
| Utility | |||
| Solo and leveling | |||
| Ease of play |
- Beast Mastery
Damage · 2 builds
Pet-focused damage: a stronger, faster pet and Bestial Wrath. The easiest hunter to level and solo with.
Top talent:
Beast Mastery guide
Beast Mastery - Marksmanship
Damage · 2 builds
Ranged damage from shots: Aimed Shot, more crit and more range.
Top talent:
Marksmanship guide
Chimera Shot - Survival
Damage · 2 builds
Agility, traps and survivability, with tools that keep enemies at range and talents that help in melee.
Top talent:
Survival guide
Explosive Shot
Gear
- Mail with Agility, attack power, hit, crit and armour penetration.
- Hit to 8% (263 rating).
- A ranged weapon with high damage per second and a scope.
Each spec guide ranks its stats and says what to look for on its gear.
Hunter class quests
The quests that unlock class abilities, by the level each route starts at.