Beast Mastery Hunter WotLK Guide
Beast Mastery Hunter DPS guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: rotation, cooldowns, the 54/17/0 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
The Beast Mastery Hunter is the spec where the pet does a large part of the work. It is the easiest of the three Hunter specs to play, and it brings a real raid buff: Ferocious Inspiration adds a small damage increase for the whole raid every time your pet crits. It also brings Misdirection, Tranquilizing Shot and a full set of traps.
This guide covers the shot priority, the cooldowns and how to line them up, pet choice and pet care, the talents and glyphs we run, the stats to reach and the mistakes that cost the most. It is written for Icecrown Citadel 25 and Ruby Sanctum on 3.3.5a. The short overview is in the class guide.
1.How the Beast Mastery Hunter plays
Your damage is Steady Shot. It is the largest share of your damage, and most of your global cooldowns are spent on it. Around it you keep Serpent Sting and Hunter's Mark up, press Kill Shot in the execute phase, and use Explosive Trap and Multi-Shot when they are ready. Arcane Shot is only for when you are moving, or when you are under the armor penetration you need.
The other half of the spec is the pet. Feed it, keep it happy, and level it to 80 before you raid. Kill Command has no global cooldown, so most good Hunters macro it onto every shot they fire. Your pet is a second damage dealer, and it is the reason this spec keeps up in single-target fights.
2.Shot priority
- Hunter's MarkOn the boss at the start of the fight, if no other Hunter has it up.
- Kill ShotWhen the boss is under twenty percent health.
- Explosive TrapOn cooldown, and stand where the damage over time can tick. On single targets you weave it in melee range.
- Multi-ShotWhen it is ready, for the damage and for the raid utility.
- Serpent StingKeep it on the target.
- Steady ShotYour main shot. Most of your casts are this one.
- Arcane ShotOnly when you have to move, or when you do not have enough armor penetration.
For multi-target fights, the guides we read use bomb weaving: Saronite Bombs with Aspect of the Viper for mana. Weave your Explosive Trap in melee range on single targets, and plan where you stand so the damage over time is used in full.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
Bestial Wrath and Rapid Fire are your two big buttons, and you want to line them up with Bloodlust and with your trinkets.
The strongest spell of the spec, and it should be used on cooldown. Your pet becomes much stronger for a short time, and with The Beast Within so do you.
A large haste increase for a short time. Use it in the opener with the rest of your cooldowns, and do not lose uptime by moving.
Has no global cooldown, so macro it onto every shot. It is a big part of your pet's damage.
Redirects your threat to the tank for a short time. Use it on the pull and every time it is ready, so your damage never pulls the boss.
Removes an enrage from a target. Learn which fights ask for it.
A pet cooldown that fits with Bestial Wrath. Line them up.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Beast Mastery build is the 54/17/0 in the calculator, built around Beast Mastery, The Beast Within, Ferocious Inspiration, Kindred Spirits, Serpent's Swiftness and Cobra Strikes. The Beast Mastery talent is what lets you tame exotic pets.
The major glyphs are Bestial Wrath, Steady Shot and Serpent Sting. Explosive Trap is a good alternative on fights with a lot of trap damage.
You master the art of Beast training, teaching you the ability to tame Exotic pets and increasing your total amount of Pet Skill points by 4.
Increases all damage you deal by 10% and while your pet is under the effects of Bestial Wrath, you also go into a rage causing 10% additional damage and reducing mana costs of all spells by 50% for 10 sec. While enraged, you do not feel pity or remorse or fear and you cannot be stopped unless killed.
All party and raid members have all damage increased by 3% within 100 yards of your pet. In addition, increases the damage dealt by Arcane Shot and Steady Shot by 9%.
Increases your pet's damage by 20% and you and your pet's movement speed by 10% while your pet is active. This does not stack with other movement speed increasing effects.
Increases ranged combat attack speed by 20% and your pet's melee attack speed by 20%.
You have a 40% chance when you critically hit with Arcane Shot, Steady Shot or Kill Shot to cause your pet's next 2 special attacks to critically hit.
Decreases the cooldown of Bestial Wrath by 20 sec.
Increases the damage dealt by Steady Shot by 10% when your target is afflicted with Serpent Sting.
Increases the duration of your Serpent Sting by 6 sec.
5.Stats, gems and gear
The priority is hit, then armor penetration, then attack power and agility. Reach the hit cap first, then aim for the armor penetration cap, and after that stack agility and attack power depending on your gear.
For your pet, a Devilsaur is the pick for pure damage. A Wolf gives the group a useful buff, and utility pets like a Worm (armor debuff), a Core Hound or a Chimaera help the raid instead. Feed your pet to full happiness and level it to 80 before the raid.
Berserking (+20% ranged attack speed on a 3-min cooldown) is strong burst, Beast Slaying adds 5% damage to beasts, and Bow Specialization gives +1% ranged crit. Orc is close — Blood Fury plus Command (+5% pet damage) is real for Beast Mastery.
Heroic Presence gives the party +1% hit, valuable to the whole raid. Dwarf offers Gun Specialization (+1% crit with guns) and Stoneform.
Oathbinder, Charge of the Ranger-General
Fal'inrush, Defender of Quel'thalas
Deathbringer's Will
Sharpened Twilight Scale
Sanctified Ahn'Kahar Blood Hunter's Headpiece
Sanctified Ahn'Kahar Blood Hunter's Tunic
6.Common mistakes
• Ignoring pet happiness and losing the pet's damage.
• Letting Serpent Sting fall off the target.
• Not using Misdirection, and pulling the boss with your damage.
• Moving during Rapid Fire and wasting its uptime.
• Firing Arcane Shot when you could be firing Steady Shot.
7.On the bosses
A few notes for Icecrown and Ruby Sanctum:
Tranquilizing Shot the enrage when the fight asks for it, and use your traps on the adds.
Use Multi-Shot and your traps on the adds in the priority the raid leader gives you. See the Icecrown guide.
Kill the Spirits with your ranged damage in the final phase, and use Tranquilizing Shot on the enrage. See the Lich King guide.
Stay with your group in the realm you are assigned to. See the Ruby Sanctum guide.
8.Questions people ask
Yes. It is the easiest of the three Hunter specs, it keeps up on single targets, and it brings a raid buff through Ferocious Inspiration.
A Devilsaur for damage, a Wolf for the group buff, or a utility pet like a Worm if the raid needs the debuff.
Yes. It has no global cooldown, so it is free to press with every shot.
The hit cap first, and then armor penetration. The numbers are in the caps section above.