Which spec to level
Level Beast Mastery. Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins agree here: the talents strengthen the pet, it lives longer and holds threat, and you hardly stop to rest. In the leveling tier list it is S.
| Spec | When to take it | Downside |
|---|---|---|
| Beast Mastery | Solo, the whole way to 60 | Little area damage |
| Marksmanship | Groups and dungeons | Slower solo; Tavern does not recommend Lone Wolf without a pet for leveling |
| Survival | Fans of melee and traps | The talents had bugs on the beta |
Talents by level
Icy Veins order (updated Oct 17). Mobalytics (Oct 18) takes the same talents up to level 30 in a different order. Levels 31–60 are closed on the beta: this is the source’s plan, and we will check it on live after Nov 4.
| Levels | Talent | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 10–14 | Deadly Aspects | 5 |
| 15–16 | Pathfinding | 2 |
| 17–18 | Improved Revive Pet | 2 |
| 19 | Focused Fire | 1 |
| 20 | Bestial Swiftness | 1 |
| 21–24 | Unleashed Fury | 4 |
| 25 | Summon Hawk | 1 |
| 26 | Unleashed Fury | 5/5 |
| 27–29 | Ferocity | 3 |
| 30 | Intimidation | 1 |
| 31–32 | Bestial Discipline | 2 |
| 33–34 | Ferocity | 5/5 |
| 35–39 | Frenzy | 5 |
| 40 | Bestial Wrath | 1 |
| 41–45 | Lethal Attacks | 5 |
| 46–50 | Careful Aim | 5 |
| 51 | Focused Fire | 2/2 |
| 52–56 | Endurance Training | 5 |
| 57–58 | Spirit Bond | 2 |
| 59–60 | Hawk Eye | 2 |
TipThe Legacy Talented perk gives talents up to 5 levels earlier: the order is the same. According to Mobalytics, Summon Hawk lets you keep two hawks at once.
Pet
Taming opens at level 10 through a class quest in the starting zone. For leveling, Warcraft Tavern recommends a cat (fast attacks, high damage) or a boar (sturdier, Charge builds threat quickly). Forever added a new family, foxes, and many beasts have new abilities. The pet gets camp buffs if you summon it at the campfire.
Abilities and trainer
| Level | What to take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Serpent Sting, Aspect of the Monkey | A poison on the target, dodge in melee |
| 6 | Arcane Shot, Hunter's Mark | An instant shot |
| 8 | Concussive Shot | A slow |
| 10 | Tame Beast (quest), Aspect of the Hawk | A pet and ranged damage |
| 12 | Mend Pet, Wing Clip | Heal the beast, get out of melee |
| 18 | Multi-Shot | Several targets |
| 20 | Aimed Shot, Aspect of the Cheetah, Freezing Trap; polearms from the weapon trainer | A strong shot, speed, control |
| 26 | Rapid Fire | A damage window |
| 28 | Frost Trap | An area slow |
| 30 | Feign Death | Drop combat |
| 40 | Aspect of the Pack, riding, dual specialization | Group speed |
- 1Before the fight
Aspect of the Hawk; the pet goes at the enemy first and lands a couple of hits.
- 2Opening
Auto Shot, then Serpent Sting.
- 3In the fight
Summon Hawk on cooldown, Aimed Shot and Rapid Fire on cooldown, Arcane Shot when you have spare mana.
- 4If the enemy comes at you
Wing Clip, Concussive Shot or Frost Trap until the pet takes the threat back.
Don’t shoot before the tank: the pet and you take threat easily. Freezing Trap is reliable control of a single target.
Solo, duo, group
Kill enemies one at a time: the pet holds several poorly, and area damage will pull threat off it. Until level 10 you have no pet: shoot, step back, and finish the enemy in melee (Raptor Strike). Always keep a reserve of arrows or bullets and water. If it goes badly, Feign Death, then come back with the pet alive.
With any partner: the pet can hold an enemy for a pair without a tank. Don’t send it at a target your partner is tanking.
Aspect of the Pack speeds up the group on the road, but dazes anyone the enemy hits (Warcraft Tavern). Turn it off in combat.
Stats and gear
The main thing is a ranged weapon and a supply of ammo. Warcraft Tavern lists weapons up to level 30: Barbaric Crossbow (13–16), Venomstrike (19–22), Naga Heartpiercer (22–29), Fallenroot Longbow (23–29), Quilboar Blaster (29–30), Master Hunter's Bow (30). Spirit is useful with the Bestial Discipline talent: it restores mana faster.
Profession pairings for the class and camp objects are in the professions guide.
How Forever differs from Classic
| What | In Forever |
|---|---|
| Summon Hawk | A new Beast Mastery talent: hawks attack together with the pet. |
| Pet | Gets 10% of your attack power. A new family: foxes. |
| Traps | Can be set in combat. |
| Lone Wolf | A new Marksmanship talent: damage without a pet. |
| Survival | Can go into melee: new talents Strider Kick, Expose Prey. |
| Tracking | Improved tracking instead of talents against individual enemy types. |
| Dual specialization | From level 40. |
Questions
Which Hunter spec is best for leveling in WoW Forever?
Beast Mastery: Warcraft Tavern, Mobalytics and Icy Veins recommend it. Marksmanship is stronger in groups.
Which pet should I take?
For leveling, a cat or a boar (Warcraft Tavern). The cat hits harder, the boar is sturdier.
When do I get a pet?
At level 10, after the class quest in the starting zone.
Does a Hunter need melee?
Almost not while leveling: the pet holds the enemy. Raptor Strike, Wing Clip and Aspect of the Monkey help in melee.
Why does a Hunter level so fast?
It kills with almost no rest: the pet tanks and mana is used sparingly. By LFCarry’s estimate, Hunter is about 8% faster than average.
