Hunter Simple Questions / Simple Answers: Cataclysm Edition - Page 2

ov3rl0rd · 12/12/10, 4:45 PM

Is mastery rating rounding down, like 18.01 and 18.99 mastery means 18% elemental damage (for survival)?

Polnedra · 12/12/10, 7:23 PM

At the moment my shot priority for survival looks a little like this:
Black Arrow > Serpent Sting (Only Once per target) > Explosive > Cobra > Arcane (When getting close to 100 focus)

Is there anything people have found works better? and also when you get TNT Procs, Do you have for explosive shot to tick before firing it again, or do you break it up with a free arcane? ES - AS - ES?

Thanks for the help

Desaan · 12/12/10, 10:49 PM

Originally Posted by Polnedra

At the moment my shot priority for survival looks a little like this:
Black Arrow > Serpent Sting (Only Once per target) > Explosive > Cobra > Arcane (When getting close to 100 focus)

Is there anything people have found works better? and also when you get TNT Procs, Do you have for explosive shot to tick before firing it again, or do you break it up with a free arcane? ES - AS - ES?

Thanks for the help

You should always SS your target first, 2/2 Noxious Sting increases your damage on said target by 10% whilst active.

I've been using this spec with some success Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft and generally my rotation goes something like this - Serpent Sting > BA > ES > Steady Shot > Steady Shot> Cobra Shot. Usually by that point a single target is almost dead at least on heroic by which point Kill Shot takes priority. In the case of TNT procs I continue my normal rotation to some degree by at least keeping up the Steady Shot talent haste buff and throwing in the Explosive shots before the first and after the last Steady Shots using AS to dump focus.

It's a judgement call mostly depending on thrill of the hunt procs and how much focus your sitting on but even using Arcane Shot as a dump can still net you a reduced shot cost but that doesn't happen too often, just stick with the rotation and keep an eye on your focus and don't mash ES on TNT proc's. Takes some practice but you get into a groove after a while.

Ardeaf · 12/12/10, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by Desaan

I've been using this spec with some success Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft and generally my rotation goes something like this - Serpent Sting > BA > ES > Steady Shot > Steady Shot> Cobra Shot. Usually by that point a single target is almost dead at least on heroic by which point Kill Shot takes priority. In the case of TNT procs I continue my normal rotation to some degree by at least keeping up the Steady Shot talent haste buff and throwing in the Explosive shots before the first and after the last Steady Shots using AS to dump focus.

Why use steady shot at all as survival?

Desaan · 12/12/10, 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by Ardeaf

Why use steady shot at all as survival?

As with most of the current spec's I'm finding auto shot to be one of my top 3 damage sources and what's not to like about an extra 15% haste for 8 seconds with the Steady Shot talent? I usually roll with a warrior in my group for heroics so I'm seeing very little difference between my Steady and Cobra shot damage.

R00k!3 · 12/12/10, 11:22 PM

Well actually Explosive Shot should be your top damage shot and since it scales exclusively with attackpower, why would you pass on 30% of your attackpower.

ps. Does anybody know if the WL dot buff works with SV. I know the proc itself works but is our damage actually influenced by it?

Desaan · 12/12/10, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by R00k!3

Well actually Explosive Shot should be your top damage shot and since it scales exclusively with attackpower, why would you pass on 30% of your attackpower.

ps. Does anybody know if the WL dot buff works with SV. I know the proc itself works but is our damage actually influenced by it?

I said that auto shot was one of my top three damage sources but not THE top, obviously that spot goes to ES followed by a glyphed Steady Shot and then auto. Obviously this is just on a single target, AOE changes things to some degree.

mako · 12/12/10, 11:45 PM

Originally Posted by Desaan

As with most of the current spec's I'm finding auto shot to be one of my top 3 damage sources and what's not to like about an extra 15% haste for 8 seconds with the Steady Shot talent? I usually roll with a warrior in my group for heroics so I'm seeing very little difference between my Steady and Cobra shot damage.

At least for Survival, the gap between steady and cobra shots will widen as you obtain gear. Cobra benefits from mastery, Steady doesn't. Steady doesn't add duration to serpent sting, cobra does.

If you talent into improved steady shot, you either miss out on one with nature (free attack power) or sick 'em, both of which seem fairly important. Plus, survival doesn't have the focus to be wasting it on recasting serpent sting. I haven't played BM enough to determine if it's viable to use steady, but losing the serpent sting "refresh" would make the spec rather frustrating to play.

Squall13 · 12/13/10, 3:17 AM

For those of you who are suggesting a BA>SrS>ES or SrS>BA>ES opener/rotation

The 10% damage buff doesn't outweigh the loss you get from delaying your highest DPS shot by 34% (2 GCDs)

ALWAYS, always, fire ES first.

Also, arcane would not ALWAYS be your focus dump though it mostly is. There would be scenarios where you would have to use Kill Command as Survival.

When you get lucky Thrill of the Hunt procs and your LnL also procs, there would be situations where you have 2 free Explosive shots at your disposal while sitting at > 80 focus and BA is on CD. This is when you should use Kill Command

ES > KC > ES > Arcane/Steady > ES

Moyotoshi · 12/13/10, 5:08 AM

I've found that if I'm firing my highest damage shot available at any given moment, I never come close to focus capping, even during a LnL proc. ES>BA>SrS>CoS>AS is my standard opener, and I always monitor to make sure I'm hitting the highest damage shot. My focus bar is usually fluctuating between 0 and 44, so when I get an LnL proc, I instinctively fire ES>CoS>ES>AS>ES. The first Cobra Shot usually puts me at enough focus for the AS>ES at the end, and if it doesn't, I replace the Arcane with a Cobra and delay the Arcane until after the Explosive. I have had nothing but excellent luck this way.

I didn't think I'd like it, but Trap Launcher has become my best friend. Forcing LnL procs simply by maintaining my CC? Hell yes! My trap may last 1.3 minutes, but I'm refreshing it every 24 seconds.

pichuca · 12/13/10, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by Desaan

You should always SS your target first, 2/2 Noxious Sting increases your damage on said target by 10% whilst active.

I've been using this spec with some success Talent Calculator - World of Warcraft and generally my rotation goes something like this - Serpent Sting > BA > ES > Steady Shot > Steady Shot> Cobra Shot. Usually by that point a single target is almost dead at least on heroic by which point Kill Shot takes priority. In the case of TNT procs I continue my normal rotation to some degree by at least keeping up the Steady Shot talent haste buff and throwing in the Explosive shots before the first and after the last Steady Shots using AS to dump focus.

It's a judgement call mostly depending on thrill of the hunt procs and how much focus your sitting on but even using Arcane Shot as a dump can still net you a reduced shot cost but that doesn't happen too often, just stick with the rotation and keep an eye on your focus and don't mash ES on TNT proc's. Takes some practice but you get into a groove after a while.

No one should NEVER use steady shot as SV. There´s no reason at all. Cobra shot hits for almos TWICE the damage of a Steady shot. Also Careful Aim is an abysmal DPS increase during the first 20% of the fight

Just checking some public settings:

Best buff/debuffs on

Cobra shot average crit 17087. Average hit 8543

Steady shot average crit: 10527. Average hit 5263

This setup has very low mastery, 584. I will check with my own character as soon as armory import is aviable, but with 1500 mastery (!6.64) spect a higher difference.

Desaan · 12/13/10, 11:35 AM

I'll try some more rotations with Cobra Shot then, initially I was unimpressed with its damage scaling but I guess that's going to be that way in dodgy blues/greens.

I can't test this or find out at the moment but can anyone confirm that the 8% magic damage debuff from pets such as the Dragonhawk effect the likes of Cobra, ES and BA?

pichuca · 12/13/10, 12:13 PM

Yes, it also affects SrS

About cobra vs steady, I think that´s the wrong battle. Im my opinion, as we get better geared we will see a bigger difference thanks to the increased mastery available on items. At that moment, we should discuss about Cobra VS Arcane shot, as it could be possible to remove it completely from our priority

Dralmoo · 12/13/10, 12:53 PM

I've tested a few different profiles at femaledwarf.com, and it tends to suggest that Crit is the #1 stat for Survival Hunters. But I've noticed the vast majority of Hunters with top ranked parses on WoL are favoring mastery/haste at the expense of crit. I realize there are only a relatively small number of hunter parses available at this point, but I'm curious if anyone has any theories that would explain the discrepancy.

tamarack928 · 12/13/10, 3:48 PM

I am still a little unclear about survivals Mastery. Can someone help break this down for me lemming style.

Agi is the primary stat as still determined to date.

Then we're looking at what? If i swap out a piece of gear with haste for crit it goes down.

I'm seeing a lot of mastery being pushed down my throat but it's making me have some decisions between crit/haste/mastery.

I'm completely ok with understanding the hit cap but when it comes to balancing the other 3 in either survival or MM i get a little lost and I play between both specs but at least i understand MM's wild quiver. I'm not quite clear on what they mean by elemental damage. I read some Blue posts trying to clear this up but it's not clicking.

Thanks!