Marksmanship Hunter WotLK Guide
Marksmanship Hunter DPS guide for WotLK 3.3.5a: rotation, cooldowns, the 7/54/10 talent build, glyphs, stat priority and BiS gear for ICC and Ruby Sanctum.
Marksmanship is the precision Hunter. It plays with the strongest single-target rotation of the three specs and has the highest ceiling, and it brings Trueshot Aura to the raid. It is the spec for players who like a rotation with real decisions in it, and who are happy to keep a Hunter mobile on the fights that ask for it.
This guide covers the priority, the cooldowns and how Readiness fits in, 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 Marksmanship Hunter plays
You keep Serpent Sting up, and every global cooldown after that goes to your main shots. Chimera Shot leads the cycle because it refreshes your sting and gives the Improved Steady Shot proc, Aimed Shot follows it, and Steady Shot fills the gaps. Kill Shot takes over when the boss is under twenty percent.
Silencing Shot is off the global cooldown, so bind it next to Chimera Shot and Aimed Shot, and use it whenever it is ready. Rapid Fire and Readiness work as a pair: use Rapid Fire as soon as it is ready, and Readiness to reset it and your other important cooldowns.
2.Shot priority
- Serpent StingKeep it on the target. Chimera Shot refreshes it.
- Silencing ShotOn cooldown. It does not use a global cooldown.
- Rapid Fire and ReadinessRapid Fire as soon as it is ready, and Readiness to reset it.
- Kill ShotWhen the boss is under twenty percent health.
- Chimera ShotLead the cycle with it, so you get the most from the Improved Steady Shot procs.
- Aimed ShotOn cooldown, after Chimera Shot.
- Steady ShotYour filler. On multi-target fights, Explosive Trap takes its place when it is ready.
- Arcane ShotOnly as the last option, if you cannot fit anything else.
Mana can be a problem in long fights, and there is a talent, Rapid Recuperation, for that if you run dry. On fights that ask for movement, the guides we read use extra range from Hawk Eye, so you can stay in position.
3.Cooldowns and raid utility
Marksmanship has fewer buttons than Beast Mastery, but each one matters.
A large haste increase for a short time. Use it as soon as it is ready, and do not lose the uptime by moving.
Resets your cooldowns, including Rapid Fire and your traps. Use it right after Rapid Fire.
Interrupts a cast and has no global cooldown. It is also a part of your damage, so use it whenever it is ready.
Redirects your threat to the tank. Use it on the pull and every time it comes back.
Gives the raid extra attack power. Keep it up, unless another Hunter already has a stronger one.
Removes an enrage from a target. Learn which fights ask for it.
4.Talents and glyphs
Our recommended Marksmanship build is the 7/54/10 in the calculator, built around Chimera Shot, Marked for Death, Trueshot Aura, Silencing Shot, Master Marksman and Wild Quiver. The guides we read also use a 7/57/7 variant with Improved Barrage.
The major glyphs are Steady Shot, Serpent Sting and Kill Shot. Hawk is a good alternative in some builds.
Instant cast 10 sec cooldownRequires Ranged Weapon. You deal 125% weapon damage, refreshing the current Sting on your target and triggering an effect: Serpent Sting - Instantly deals 40% of the damage done by your Serpent Sting. Viper Sting - Instantly restores mana to you equal to 60% of the total amount drained by your Viper Sting. Scorpid Sting - Attempts to Disarm the target for 10 sec. This effect cannot occur more than once per 1 minute.
Increases your damage done by your shots and the damage done by your pet's special abilities by 5% on market targets, and increases the critical strike damage bonus of your Aimed Shot, Steady Shot, Kill Shot or Chimera Shot by 10%.
Increases the attack power of party and raid members within 100 yards by 10%. Lasts until cancelled.
A shot that deals 50% weapon damage and Silences the target for 3 sec. Non-player victim spellcasting is also interrupted for 3 sec.
Increases your critical strike chance by 5%, and reduces the Mana cost of your Steady Shot, Aimed Shot, and Chimera Shot by 25%.
You have a 12% chance to shoot an additional shot when doing damage with your auto shot, dealing 80% weapon nature damage. Wild Quiver consumes no ammo.
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.
Reduces the cooldown of Kill Shot by 6 sec.
5.Stats, gems and gear
The priority is hit, then agility and armor penetration, then critical strike, then intellect. Avoid haste. Do not chase the armor penetration cap blindly: agility is often worth more, and the right choice changes as your gear improves.
Jewelcrafting is the best profession, then Blacksmithing, then Engineering. Engineering also gives the Nitro Boosts, which are very useful on fights with movement. Do not gem hit when you are already capped, and do not ignore socket bonuses.
- Hit
- Agility
- Armor Penetration
- Critical Strike
263 (230 with Draenei), lower with Focused Aim
MM can spend talent points in Focused Aim to reduce the required gear hit — do not assume the full 263 is needed.
Extremely important at high gear levels
Do not target a flat "1400" — ICC-era MM BiS is nuanced because weapon damage, Agility and ArP interact. Gear/reforge around what your full set provides.
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
Sharpened Twilight Scale
Deathbringer's Will
Sanctified Ahn'Kahar Blood Hunter's Headpiece
Sanctified Ahn'Kahar Blood Hunter's Tunic
6.Common mistakes
• Chasing the armor penetration cap over agility without checking the numbers.
• Gemming hit when you are already capped.
• Using a trinket like Banner of Victory when you have a better critical strike trinket.
• Ignoring socket bonuses when you gem.
• Relying on an old BiS list without checking your own stat weights.
7.On the bosses
Marksmanship is mobile, and that matters on these fights:
The Shock Vortex and the moving targets ask for a Hunter who can keep shooting on the move. Use your range and stay with the healers.
Plan your Rapid Fire and Readiness windows around the phase changes.
Use your damage on the adds in the priority the raid leader gives you.
Stay flexible during the transitions, and shoot the Spirits in the last phase. See the Lich King guide.
8.Questions people ask
In the best gear it has the higher ceiling on single targets. Beast Mastery is easier, and brings the Ferocious Inspiration buff.
It is part of the spec. It resets Rapid Fire and your traps, which is a large part of your burst.
Not blindly. Agility is often worth more, and the right balance changes with your gear.
Jewelcrafting, then Blacksmithing, then Engineering for the movement tools.