ForeverDB

Hunter

Rotations & Guide · PvE guide · PvP guide · Talent builds · Abilities · Talent Calculator · Macros · Changes vs Classic

Other classes: Warrior, Paladin, Rogue, Priest, Shaman, Mage, Warlock, Druid

Hunters are ranged physical damage dealers with pets, traps and stings. Forever adds Summon Hawk (a Beast Mastery talent: a hawk dive-bomb sharing Arcane Shot's cooldown), melee attack power on Aspect of the Beast, the Marksmanship capstone Sniper Shot and a real melee Survival toolkit with Strider Kick, Lacerate and a weapon-based Counterattack. Aimed Shot is a trainer ability at level 20 and shares its cooldown with Multi-Shot.

Beast Mastery (Ranged DPS)

Beast Mastery pushes damage through the pet and Forever's hawks. Unleashed Fury and Ferocity buff your pet and the hawks from Summon Hawk, a tier 4 Beast Mastery talent that shares Arcane Shot's cooldown, and the new Focused Fire adds 2% to everything you and your pet deal. Deadly Aspects gives Aspect of the Hawk a ranged haste proc, and Bestial Wrath is the burst window.

Marksmanship (Ranged DPS)

Marksmanship is the classic Auto Shot weaving spec. In Forever, Aimed Shot is a trainer ability that shares its 6 sec cooldown with Multi-Shot, Careful Aim turns Intellect into Attack Power and opens Mortal Shots, and Trueshot Aura is a tier 4 talent from level 25. Rapid Killing and Rapid Recuperation turn kills and Serpent Sting into damage and mana, and Sniper Shot, a 4 sec cast with a 15 sec cooldown, is the level 40 capstone.

Survival (Melee DPS)

Forever turns Survival into a viable melee hunter: Savage Strikes and Predator's Edge add melee crit and crit damage, Deflection adds up to 5% parry and Counterattack fires after parries. Strider Kick (a tier 5 talent) and Lacerate add a melee rotation, Aspect of the Beast gives melee attack power, and Expose Prey and Lacerating Strikes turn Mongoose Bite into a regular attack. You still Auto Shot and trap between melee bursts.

Tips & tricks: what ForeverDB learned

Beast Mastery

Updated 8 November 2026 for build 1.60.1.70862 · From the DPS simulator, the game client

Learning from players: DPS. Collecting comparable fights before publishing observed cast patterns.

Observed cast patterns, not a proven optimal rotation. Gear, buffs, healing assignments and incoming damage can explain performance differences. HPS is effective healing; overhealing does not increase it. HPS counts effective healing, APS counts recorded shield absorption, and EHPS is their combined rate. Shield application sizes and overhealing do not increase EHPS. Healing assignments and incoming damage still limit healer comparisons. Build groups use the version reported by the log; some logs omit the hotfix build number.

How to play it at level 60: priority, procs and cooldowns

What to press, in order. Cast the first one that is ready and whose condition holds.

  1. Serpent Sting: When it's missing from the target: Keep it on the target: up 74% of the sim's fight; worth 6.8% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
  2. Multi-Shot: Whenever it's ready: Cast it when it's ready (6 s cooldown); worth 2% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client)
  3. Arcane Shot: Fill the gaps with it: Your filler: cast it when nothing above is ready; worth 7.3% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)

React to:

Keep up:

Before the pull:

Latest changes:

Marksmanship

Updated 8 November 2026 for build 1.60.1.70862 · From the DPS simulator, the game client

Learning from players: DPS. Collecting comparable fights before publishing observed cast patterns.

Observed cast patterns, not a proven optimal rotation. Gear, buffs, healing assignments and incoming damage can explain performance differences. HPS is effective healing; overhealing does not increase it. HPS counts effective healing, APS counts recorded shield absorption, and EHPS is their combined rate. Shield application sizes and overhealing do not increase EHPS. Healing assignments and incoming damage still limit healer comparisons. Build groups use the version reported by the log; some logs omit the hotfix build number.

How to play it at level 60: priority, procs and cooldowns

What to press, in order. Cast the first one that is ready and whose condition holds.

  1. Serpent Sting: When it's missing from the target: Keep it on the target: up 49% of the sim's fight; worth 3.3% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
  2. Aimed Shot: Whenever it's ready: Cast it when it's ready (6 s cooldown); worth 2.9% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
  3. Arcane Shot: Fill the gaps with it: Your filler: cast it when nothing above is ready; worth 2.3% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)

React to:

Keep up:

Before the pull:

Latest changes:

Survival

Updated 8 November 2026 for build 1.60.1.70862 · From the DPS simulator, the game client

Learning from players: DPS. Collecting comparable fights before publishing observed cast patterns.

Observed cast patterns, not a proven optimal rotation. Gear, buffs, healing assignments and incoming damage can explain performance differences. HPS is effective healing; overhealing does not increase it. HPS counts effective healing, APS counts recorded shield absorption, and EHPS is their combined rate. Shield application sizes and overhealing do not increase EHPS. Healing assignments and incoming damage still limit healer comparisons. Build groups use the version reported by the log; some logs omit the hotfix build number.

How to play it at level 60: priority, procs and cooldowns

What to press, in order. Cast the first one that is ready and whose condition holds.

  1. Mongoose Bite: When it procs: Only while Mongoose is up; worth 3.3% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
  2. Strider Kick: Whenever it's ready: Cast it when it's ready (8 s cooldown); worth 18.3% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
  3. Raptor Strike: Whenever it's ready: Cast it when it's ready (6 s cooldown); worth 11.4% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client, ForeverDB guide)
  4. Serpent Sting: When it's missing from the target: Keep it on the target: up 86% of the sim's fight; worth 14.9% of your DPS (Simulator, Forever client)

React to:

Keep up:

Before the pull:

Latest changes:

Every spec's latest changes. Re-studied every week and after each new game build.

Best in slot gear at any level: Beast Mastery, Marksmanship, Survival

Best professions for Hunters: Leatherworking + Skinning.

Hunter abilities

No longer trainer abilities in the live client

Common questions

What ranged weapons can a Hunter use, and where do I get a bow?

Hunters do most of their damage with a ranged weapon, and in Forever that's a bow, a crossbow or a gun. All three go in the ranged slot and fire the same way, so take whichever has the best stats you can get for your level.

To find one, the fastest way is the items search: filter to Bow (or Gun or Crossbow), set your level, and sort by what you can equip. Good ones come from quest rewards, dungeon drops and the auction house, and the bow and gun vendors in the main cities stock basic ones.

Bows and crossbows need arrows and guns need bullets, so keep a stack of the right ammo in your bags.

Sources: Hunter in WoW Forever · Items search · checked on build 1.60.1.70862

Where do I find Raging Agam'ar, and can Hunters tame it?

Speculation: The mob's tame level and drop rates come from Classic data and aren't confirmed in the Forever client yet.

Raging Agam'ar is a boar you meet inside Razorfen Kraul, the level 24 dungeon down in the southern Barrens. There are several of them on the way through.

Hunters can tame it. Boars are a sturdy pet family, handy for soaking hits while you shoot, and the ones here sit around level 25 to 26.

Killing them gives boar meat for cooking, mainly Boar Intestines and Boar Ribs. Both drops turn up in Forever.

Sources: Razorfen Kraul · Boar Intestines · Boar Ribs · checked on build 1.60.1.70862

The whole FAQ

Data from the WoW Forever client, build 1.60.1.70862, extracted .