OutDPS!

We’re in the doldrums at the end of Wrath.  The story is done aside from a token shrine.  Like captivated readers often do at the end of a good story, many players have opted to just flip back to the beginning of the game and create an alt.  This abundance of young hunters in the hands of end-game players might alone be enough to merit a fresh post on the hunter leveling experience.  However, motivation for the post you are reading also follows from the sea changes to leveling that we have seen in Wrath.  Heirlooms, the dungeon finder (and its loot) and more-accessible pvp, among other things, have dramatically altered the way hunters level.  In light of all these things, this post offers suggestions for the growing hunter.

Consider MM

Let me state first that BM is still great for leveling, and it is not as if MM has only now become viable for leveling.  Rather, my argument is that Wrath’s changes have made MM more appealing for leveling than it was before.  MM’s talents take great advantage of heirloom weapon damage and the stats from dungeon blues.  This same gear also allows you to be too-tough for most solo content regardless of whether you are BM or not.  MM’s extra and enhanced instant shots make for often-overwhelming burst dps in lower-level pvp.  The prevalence of the dungeon finder means that we are far more often simply doing damage rather than balancing dps and pet tanking.  All of these changes amplify the advantages of leveling as MM and diminish its disadvantages.

BM has enticing talents (especially Pathfinding), but so does MM.  There are reasons why almost all endgame BM and SV dps specs go 15-18 points deep into the MM tree.  The early talents there are simply great for dps, and they are great when they’re the only talents you have, too (here is an example 40pt MM build).  Focused Aim offers hit (awesome when your gear has little hit on it).  Careful Aim is quite impressive at low levels, especially if you pick up “of the Falcon” (+agi, +int) gear as opposed to the standard “of the Monkey” (+agi, +stam) gear.  Two points in Go for the Throat helps to make up for not having access to Bestial Discipline.  The effect of these talents, when combined with heirlooms and/or dungeon blues, is that you become a killing machine.  The leveling experience as MM will not be as smooth as with BM.  If you’re not careful, you will pull agro a lot from both your pet and tanks.  You will not be able to weather as many mistakes or red quests as BM hunters.  But you will kill things faster, and that counts for a lot while leveling.  You will embody Rapid Killing in dungeons, battlegrounds and questing grinds alike.  If that sounds appealing, rethink the conventional wisdom and give MM a shot.

Try Battlegrounds

There are a number of reasons to try pvp while leveling.  You can now gain good experience in them.  Winning matches for the weekend’s Call to Arms battleground offers huge chunks of experience, enough to rival if not beat out other sources of exp.  Pvp can also be a nice alternative to the grind of questing and randoms.  The reason that hunters in particular should consider it is that they are astounding at pvp at lower levels.  A skilled hunter can do amazing things at level 19 in WG.  Like single-handed wins amazing.  Like Ironman and Wrecking Ball in the same match amazing.  Such things sometimes require even your own team to not have a clue, but, well, that is often the case in WG 19.

There are caveats here, too, of course.  One is that while BG exp can sometimes be very, very good it can also be very, very bad.  The BG finder may repeatedly place you in losing matches that other people have abandoned.  Or you may find that your faction is a howling abyss of suck on your server.  And, regardless, you will likely find that if you join BGs at a low level for your current bracket (31 in 30-39, for example) you will get stomped on a lot and likely be of little use to your teammates in a fight for just that reason.  I would not recommend pvp as the sum of a leveling strategy, but it can be a productive part of one.

Take Advantage of Random Dungeons

By “take advantage,” I mean not just running dungeons but making the most of them.  Instances have quests attached to them that offer larger than normal portions of exp and sometimes good loot.  These quests are often easy to complete while simply running the dungeon.   Dungeons also have secrets that the smart grinder can use such as extra bosses and shortcuts.  Additionally, simply knowing where to go can sometimes mean the difference between completing the random or not, as is quite often the case in BRD.  Considering how long low-level random queues can get for dps, knowing things that will hold your group together can do a lot to make sure you did not wait in the queue for a half an hour for nothing.  Lastly, don’t only wait for dungeons.   Questing while you’re in a queue makes good use of time and ensures that the leveling experience has some variety to it.

Miscellaneous Leveling Tips

• Don’t forget to enchant your heirlooms.  Heirlooms only accept enchants that work on level 1 items, but  +100 health on a chest is still great for a long time, as is +15 agility on each of your daggers.
• Try to not skip autoshots.  They will likely be your highest source of damage in all environments until you get Volley, at which point they’ll likely still be your largest source of single target damage.
• Scrounge around for hit gear.  It is valuable for you (and your pet) at low levels too.  The level 29 Amulet of Truesight and the Horde’s level 45 (or so) Rune of the Guard Captain are good examples of hit pieces worth going out of your way for.
• Keep an eye out for pieces of gear that can be gemmed.  You can throw hit gems into them, including Wrath gems in BC gear.
• Wolves are currently the best endgame dps pet, but for leveling I recommend a bear. Swipe and Thunderstomp result in good aoe dps/threat.  Blood of the Rhino and Glyph of Mending (and the new Cower) make for an incredibly durable pet, regardless of whether you are BM or not.  Also, Charge + Claw + Swipe + Thunderstomp + Growl is a lot of threat piled fast on a target (providing your pet has the focus), threat that I did not see ferocity pets matching in casual observation.
• Watch the calendar.  Even if you do not care about the Darkmoon Faire, there are other events you might find worth taking advantage of.  Call to Arms weekends offer extra experience.  Holidays often provide special loot, ways to level professions quickly (well, cooking at least), exp buffs, easy quests, and easy mobs.
• Get a sense for your battlegroup’s population shifts.  If your AV matches are filled with 10 year olds, queue while school’s in.  If the dungeon finder is too dry at prime time, queue when people are not on their mains raiding.
• Despite the persistent efforts of DKs to shoulder the fail burden for us this expansion, the huntard stereotype still persists in strength.  Practice patience while people groan at the sight of a bow or automatically blame you for, well, anything that goes wrong.

Tips for Transitioning at 80

• For most questions about specs and stats, see Frostheim’s excellent set of guides.
• Drop your heirlooms as soon as possible.  As far as I can tell, Blizzard’s dungeon finder treats them the same way enchants do, as item level one.  The sooner you upgrade out of them, the sooner you’ll have a gearscore that will get you into certain heroics.
• Pick up the ICC 5man quest chain and follow it through on normal when you hit 80 (providing you’re geared for it from other dungeons).  It is a good source of Frost emblems  and it opens PoS and HoR to you.
• Make a plan for your gear.  Here at the end of the expansion, all gear is known and so you can plot a fully-informed course for efficient emblem expenditures and drop-seeking. For help with gear planning, check out OutDPS’s pre-raid gear guide.
• The Hunting Party Podcast recommends buying the BoE Rowan’s Rifle of Silver Bullets.  It is itemized for tanks, but its high weapon damage means that it will be better for your dps than any ranged weapon you find outside of a late-expansion raid (I haven’t tested this math myself).  This could save you from running H-PoS every day for the Felglacier Bolter.
• Start using epic ammo.  It does not cost much at all in healthy game economies and is an easy way to boost your dps right when you hit 80.
• If you want to avoid low GS grief (and you will get some from all the ICC-geared snobs who still for whatever reason run randoms), consider getting a wolf and prioritizing your tier 9 or 10 shoulders.  Those things will generate an appearance that the snobs will be less likely to cry huntard about.
• Take it slow.  Building a good set of gear takes time, especially if you’re short on cash.  Choose what you run by the dps you can do.

If you have any additional tips, please leave them in a comment below.

–Eidotrope