TBC Classic Beast Mastery Hunter Guide (Phase 3)

The Beast Mastery Hunter is a ranged, mail-wearing fighter. It shoots with a bow, crossbow, or gun and fights alongside a pet. In TBC the pet scales off the owner's stats and therefore deals a noticeable share of the total damage. In single-target damage it is one of the best specs for the entire expansion. On top of that it grants the group Ferocious Inspiration, while Misdirection and Feign Death help the raid manage threat.

• Kill Command — on cooldown, off the global cooldown, available after a crit
• Volley — on cooldown, instead of Steady Shot
• Auto Shot — the core of the rotation, with the other shots woven in between
• Steady Shot — filler
• Arcane Shot — instant, if Volley is unavailable
• Serpent Sting — instant, on the move

Opener

• Hunter's Mark — if you are assigned to apply the mark
• Misdirection — on the tank, to avoid pulling threat
• Aimed Shot — time the cast so it finishes at zero on the pull timer
• Distracting Shot — optional, gives the tank maximum threat
• Bestial Wrath — together with racial cooldowns like Blood Fury
• Rapid Fire
• Then the normal rotation

• Bestial Wrath — the main damage cooldown, put it in a macro with your racials
• Rapid Fire — increases firing speed
• Kill Command — does not use the global cooldown, press it whenever it is available
• Misdirection — dumps threat onto the tank
• Explosive Trap — area damage, pays off from 7 targets; in TBC it can be placed right in combat
• Volley — weak, only on 10+ targets and when everything else is on cooldown
• Aspect of the Viper — switch from Aspect of the Hawk when you are low on mana

Orc

• Axe Specialization increases weapon skill by 5 when wielding an axe.
• Blood Fury increases attack power by 282 for 15 seconds, but healing received is reduced by 50% for that duration. 2-minute cooldown.
• Command increases pet damage by 5%.
• Hardiness increases the chance to resist stun effects by 15%.

Troll

• Beast Slaying increases damage against beasts by 5%.
• Berserking increases attack and casting speed by 10–30% depending on how wounded you are. 3-minute cooldown.
• Bow Specialization increases critical strike chance by 1% when wielding a bow.
• Throwing Specialization increases critical strike chance by 1% when wielding a thrown weapon.
• Regeneration increases health regeneration by 10% and allows 10% of it to be active even in combat.

Tauren

• Cultivation increases herbalism skill by 15.
• Endurance increases total health by 5%.
• Nature Resistance increases nature resistance by 10.
• War Stomp stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. 0.5-second cast, 2-minute cooldown.

Night Elf

• Nature Resistance increases nature resistance by 10.
• Quickness increases dodge chance by 1%.
• Shadowmeld turns you invisible while you stand still. 10-second cooldown, does not work in combat.
• Wisp Spirit turns you into a wisp after death and speeds up ghost movement by 50%.

Dwarf

• Find Treasure marks nearby chests on the minimap.
• Frost Resistance increases frost resistance by 10.
• Gun Specialization increases critical strike chance by 1% when wielding a gun.
• Stoneform grants immunity to bleed, poison, and disease effects and increases armor for 8 seconds. 3-minute cooldown.

Draenei

• Gemcutting increases jewelcrafting skill by 5.
• Shadow Resistance increases shadow resistance by 10.
• Gift of the Naaru heals the target over 15 seconds.
• Heroic Presence increases the hit chance of the whole group within 30 yards by 1%.

Leatherworking

The best profession for a hunter. It provides Drums of Battle and Greater Drums of Battle, as well as the Primalstrike set — three pre-raid BiS pieces at once and several near-BiS options.

Engineering

The second most useful profession. It provides items that add damage and help in tough situations in both PvE and PvP.

Skinning

A good choice at the start if you don't want engineering: it supplies materials for leveling leatherworking and crafting the level 70 set.