The Hunter's Arsenal

RP? Yes Please!

2011-09-15T07:02:00.003+12:00

So you've Quested, PVP'd, and PVE'd as a hunter and thought maybe you'd like to give the RP realms a try. Well sir or ma'am, this article should help you get started in the incredibly complex World of Warcraft role playing world. Lucky for you, your class is one of the easiest and most versatile class to RP in, in my humble opinion. With no real formal training (unlike other classes like Warlocks or paladins) and the solitary nature of the hunter and his pet it is the ideal class for truly breaking out of the strict lore of some races. Here are some helpful hints for the first time RP'er.

1. Learn your Lore.
I'm not saying read and memorize everything, just know basic stuff about your class, race, faction and world, or at least have some bookmarks to references. Blizzard has some great material for beginners and from there you can decide on how you'd like to proceed.

2. Choosing Your Name
Name etiquette on RP servers is much more strict than the other servers, for obvious reasons. Do you personally know anyone named Lolfailmage in real life? Even a name like Sureshot, while acceptable to most, isn't very original. Have fun with it, and if you can keep it hunter themed, even better. Also, pick a title (if you have some)that is rare, and fits with your toon. Even old titles are appreciated in the RP world. (I use my Celestial Defender title, very rare and showy, and I'm still getting complimented on it.)

3. Your Characters Back story
Now that you've gotten somewhat familiar with your lore, time to create your back story. My advice to you on this is keep, it simple to start with, and as your character develops it's personality, your story will natural develop with it.

4. Picking the Right Pet
As a hunter, you are generally viewed as a private person who has an unbreakable bound with your pet. Chose carefully, and remember, this isn't for DPS or tanking, it's for show. Pick something that compliments your character, and put some thought behind naming it.

5. Gear and Weapons
Look for rare and/or showy armour, stats aren't too important, and don't be afraid to put on old tier or even leather armour. Weapons present a nice opportunity to really show who you are. Duel weld, 2h axe, pole arm? Gun, bow, even throwing knifes? totally open to your discretion, but put some thought into it. If you're a silent hunter who scouts an area for your raid into Goldshire, a large pole arm or a loud gun might not be the best choice, but if you actually hunt for your group, then that gun might be desirable.

6. Guilds?
Guilds are great if you're new to RP. Be careful though, some are VERY dedicated to RP and will not put up with anything that is not in character. I suggest looking for a light or medium RP guild at first, get to know whats what. Heavy RP guilds are truly dedicated and often script story lines that might not fit your story, so be careful if you decide to join one.

Like I've mentioned before, hunters offer incredible flexibility when it comes to RP, so be creative and original. Some like the bond with nature they develop, some .like the solitude, I myself am a hunter for reasons of revenge, but that's a story for a later time. Hopefully these tips will help you get started into RP, but don't forget, it's your imagination, use it or lose, it.

AFTERTHOUGHT CORNER: My personal favorite gear for RP is the tier 6 set, because lets face it, when you're deep into Alliance territory, you can use as many eyes as you can! (and eyes can't smell the stench of those drunken Dwarfs)

Post 4.2 Best Pre-Raid hunter gear

2011-09-03T18:23:00.002+12:00

Every day new hunters are being created and some of them are planned for raiding. It happens all the time, be it new alts, first time characters or a re-roll to fill a specific raid spot in your guild. They will need gear to get into raids and they will need to get them quickly. Often the guild will help with gearing a toon if a raid spot needs filling. So here is a list I have compiled, of epic gear available for each slot, and how they can be obtained. The only criteria is that this gear can be obtained without ever setting foot in a raid instance. The following gear can be obtained through heroic dungeons, crafted, bought with gold, bought with justice or Valor points, or obtained through factions.

Head
Headdress of Sharpened Visions - Drops of Final boss Daakara in Zul Aman.

Deadly Bio-Optic Killshades (Engineers only) - Craftable headpiece by engineers. Only usable by engineers. Schematic can be trained at 525 skill level.

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Neck
Necklace of Smoke Signals - Can be bought for 1250 Valor points.

Don Rodrigo's Fabulous Necklace - World drop, can be bought from Auction House.

Amulet of the Watcher - Drops of Bloodlord Mandokir in Zul Gurub.

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Shoulders
Pauldrons of Nalorakk - Drops from bear boss Nalorakk in Zul Aman.

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Chest
Flamewaker's Tunic - Tier 12, can be bought for 2200 Valor points.

Lightning-Charged Tunic - Tier 11, can be bought for 2200 justice points.

Dragonkiller Tunic - Crafted item can be bought on Auction House. Leatherworking pattern can be trained at 525 skill level.

Breastplate of Primal Fury - Drops of Lynx boss Halazzi in Zul Aman.

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Back
Mantle of Doubt - Quest reward from Elemental Bonds: The Vow

Viewless Wings - Can be bought for 1250 Justice Points.

Recovered Cloak of Frostheim - Drops of Timed Reward chest (bear boss) in Zul Aman.

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Wrist
Hide-Bound Chains - Non-heroic best-in-slot trash drop from Firelands. Can be bought from Auction House.

Bracers of Forked Lightning - Can be bought for 1250 Valor points or from the Auction House.

Wristguards of the Predator - Drops of the Bird boss Akil'zon in Zul Aman.

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Gloves
Flamewaker's Gloves - Non-heroic best-in-slot Tier 12, bought for 1650 Valor points

Dragonfire Gloves - Crafted Gloves that use 4 Living Embers, which drop off bosses in Firelands, but also can be bought off the Auction House. Pattern drops in Firelands or can be bought from Auction House.

Lightning-Charged Gloves - Tier 11, can be bought for 1650 Justice Points.

Handguards of the Tormented - Drops of The Cache of Madness (Archaeology boss) in Zul Gurub.

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Waist
Corded Viper Belt - Crafted item can be bought on Auction House. leatherworking pattern can be trained at 525 skill level.

Waistband of Hexes - Drops of Hex Lord Malacrass in Zul Aman.

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Legs
Flamewaker's Legguards - Non-heroic best-in-slot Tier 12, bought for 2200 Valor points.

Lightning-Charged Legguards - Tier 11, can be bought for 2200 Justice points.

Arrowsinger Legguards - World drop, can be bought from Auction House.

Zombie Walker Legguards - Drops of Zanzil in Zul Gurub.

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Boots
Earthen Scale Sabatons - crafted boots that use 4 Living Embers, which drop off bosses in Firelands, but also can be bought off the Auction House. Pattern drops in Firelands or can be bought from Auction House.

Lancer's Greaves - obtained from Molten Front Vendor Varlan Highbough, once quest Calling the Ancients is completed (at least a total of 445 Marks of the World tree required).

Treads of Malorne - obtained from Guardians of Hyjal Quartermaster when exalted.

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Rings
Splintered Brimstone Seal - can be bought for 1250 Valor points (non-heroic best-in-slot).

Band of Glittering Lights - obtained from Molten Front Vendor Ayla Shadowstorm, once quest Filling the Moonwell is completed (at least a total of 445 Marks of the World tree required).

Matoclaw's Band - obtained from Molten Front Vendor Zen'Vorka, once once intial Molten Front quest line is completed (20 Marks of the World Tree required).

Signet of the Elder Council - obtained from Earthen Ring Quartermaster when exalted.

Gilnean Ring of Ruination - World drop, can be bought from Auction House.

Hornet-Sting Band - can be bought for 1250 Justice points.

Arlokk's Signet - Drops of High Priestess Kilnara in Zul Gurub.

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Trinkets
Ricket's Magnetic Fireball - obtained from Molten Front Vendor Damek Bloombeard, once quest Aditional Armaments is completed (at least a total of 445 Marks of the World tree required).

Fluid Death - can be bought for 1650 Justice Points.

Unsolvable Riddle - Can be bought from Barradin's Wardens Quartermaster when exalted for 125 Tol Barad Commendations.

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Melee Weapon
Ranseur of Hatred - Non-heroic best-in-slot trash drop from Firelands. Can be bought from Auction House.

Witch-Hunter's Harvester - Crafted item, can be bought from Auction House. (if crafting yourself pattern requires at least a total of 445 Marks of the World tree)

Jin'do's Verdict - Drops of Jin'do the Godbreaker in Zul Aman.

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Ranged Weapon
Lava Bolt Crossbow - Trash drop in Firelands. Can be bought from Auction house.

Extreme-Impact Hole Puncher - Crafted item, can be bought from Auction House. (if crafting yourself pattern requires at least a total of 445 Marks of the World tree)

Mandokir's Tribute - Drops of Jin'do the Godbreaker in Zul Aman.

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So there you have it. Epics for every slot. This should help gear new hunters. keep on hunting.

Transfering to New Hunting Grounds?

2011-08-29T06:37:00.002+12:00

Today's post is just a quick one to let you all know I'm still here and working on some neat stuff for the upcoming weeks, but lately I've been rather busy. So as a helpful person, here's my experience of the last couple of months and how a server transfer can be more work than you originally thought.

When I first started the transfer I made sure that I had enough mats and gold to see me through some lean times, and believe me, when you cold transfer to a new server there will be lean times. Make sure you have all the BoA's available to you, especially your guild rep tabard if you were high enough in guild rep. (oh yea, get those mounts too).

Once the transfer is complete, there is one major decision you have to make. Which is more important, guild rep or leveling a mats toon. In most cases, the rep will take precedent, after all those guild perks make life very easy, and with the Renowned Guild Tabard, your rep climbs incredibly fast. So (ugh) dailies become necessary again.

As for your alt, you have a number of choices. DK's are pretty popular, with the high starting level, but I find that a good gathering alt is either a mage or hunter. Being a hunter main though, this might seem redundant, but here me out. First, being very familiar with the class, it will level extremely fast. Second, your abilities give you the ultimate miner/herbalist/skinner in the game. Finally, I now can experiment on builds, reforging, and gearing without any ill effect to my main, (or have a strictly pvp toon).

These are some of the things to consider when transferring, but there are allot more which I will cover later. As a gift though for this rather small post, here is a video I threw together, that shows you how to run Alysrazor's tornado effect with 100% success. Enjoy!

Raid Management: The Keys to Success

2011-08-22T15:59:00.000+12:00

I have been raiding for around 4 years now. In my time I’ve been part of 4 different raid guilds. I speak regularly to friends of my previous guilds who still play on Khaz’goroth, and naturally we discuss our progress with our respective guilds. Whereas my stories are generally those of success and progression (Firelands cleared and working on heroics), my friend’s stories are those of despair and anguish. I care for my previous guildies so I try to give as much advice as I can, but the more we talk the more I realise, the problem does not lie with the strategy but with the raid group itself.

So why are some guilds more successful than others, even though their goals are the same? I posed the question to my fellow writer Quadilious and after only a few minutes we were repeatedly using the same terms: Attitude, Communication, Organisation, Discipline, Research, Leadership...in two words Raid Management.

What about Gear and Skill?

So let’s look at what you need for a successful raid. When I originally spoke with my friend about the difference in success between our guilds, her first comment was “Well you are much better geared than us...” No, gear is not required for a successful raid. It helps but it is not required. Being better geared may have helped at the start of Firelands, sure, but everyone’s gear levels were the same for BWD and BoT. As I see it, gear is a bi-product of a successful raid. And also if successful raids require good gear then how did Paragon get world first kills of end bosses and even heroics only a few weeks into this expansion?

At this point I expect to get the “Yeah, well, Paragon are super-skilled players...” Again, that’s not the difference between success and failure. I see plenty of talented players in Ultima Ratio and have seen skilled players in GOAT and Incursion as well, so what excuse will they use? Skill is most often not the problem. And what do people mean by “Skill” anyway? If I don’t die to fires on the ground, or can successfully navigate through tornadoes, does that make me skilled? I think, that just means I have good awareness. What about using tricks, like jump-disengaging, etc? Again, that just means I heard about a trick, read up about it and practiced it. I think the term “skilled player” gets used a little too loosely at times. Skill comes from experience and research in my opinion, and any player can become “skilled” with a little effort and - key word – Research.

Research and Preparation

Here is my first key to success in a raid environment – Research, or more importantly Research, Preparation and knowledge. When I spoke with my friend about her trials in Firelands, this was one of the first things that popped up. In my opinion, her guild just wasn’t prepared enough to tackle the content. You see it all the time “go watch a video of the fight”. Ok. Then what? Just watching the strategy isn’t always enough. I told her how our guild coordinates raid cooldowns for every fight. She replied that some of her guildies didn’t even know they had raid cooldowns. A Pally who doesn’t know what Aura mastery is for, or a warrior that doesn’t use Rallying cry, that’s a lack of research right there.

When you are about to tackle a new boss, everyone in the group should be familiar with boss mechanics and fight strategies. However, at least the raid leader should be familiar with cooldowns and other abilities this particular group has available and when they should be used. He should know prior to the fight how many Rallying Cries, Aura Masteries, Power Words: Barrier, Tranquilities, Anti-Magic Shells and Hymns the group has available. Of course the players should know how to get the most out of their abilities and to know they even have those abilities. When researching it is a good idea to watch more than just one video, maybe check for class specific videos and definitely read the comments. You can find all sorts of tips and tricks by just reading comments.

Leadership

From this point I could segway into so many other keys, but I will choose leadership as my next topic. A successful raid needs to have good leadership. Every guild has raid etiquette rules that they expect their raid members to adhere to. Well, first and foremost a group needs a leader to enforce those rules. All players should be held to the same standards. There should be no clashing egos, preferential treatment or power trips, and simply no excuses. You either perform or you sit. If the raid leader allows two sets of standards he will have nothing but problems on his hands for the whole night.

Some guilds choose to use multiple role leaders to run a raid which is fine, but it can also lead to chaos. As the saying goes “Too many cooks can spoil the brew” and this can ring true in a raid environment.

The raid leader should be a player who is respected by his fellow guildies. More often than not he is already part of the guild leadership. He should be player who leads by example, treating others fairly, and a player who can make the difficult decisions when it comes to team selection and loot distribution. He will be responsible for coordinating cooldowns and fight strategies and therefore should have a general knowledge of all aspects of the fight and all classes. He will also be responsible for announcements during raid and therefore should not be shy. Besides being knowledgeable, he should also be positive and confident. One word of advice though. The line between confidence and arrogance is a thin one at best.

Organisation

Leadership also will have a major impact on other keys to raid success – Organisation and Communication. In my opinion, these two terms are the biggest reasons why Ultima Ratio are that much more successful than previous guilds. They are so organised for each boss fight (in comparison to previous guilds), down to almost every little detail. Consider Baleroc for a moment. Prior to the fight there will be a macro spammed that will allocate all the DPS to groups of 3 for Crystal rotations. Then the same is done for healers, assigning them all to a specific crystal group. Now each player knows their job during the fight. The same is done for Beth’tilac will all the DPS allocated to a specific corner to control the Spiderlings or to the drones. On Majordomo Staghelm, a macro is spammed that will tell all players which player is to use a defensive raid cooldown and at which Flamescythe to use them at. These are simple methods that organise the tools the raid group has available. Leave all players to their own devices and you get chaos, like unnecessarily stacking multiple cooldowns when only one was asked for. Organising goes as far as equally splitting DPS and healers so no side is lacking, or placing raid markers for stack points. We have all these tools available to us we may as well use them.

Communication

Which brings me to communication. Having every player yell out at the same time is not communication, it’s chaos. During a raid the voice channel you are using should be kept clear and reserved only for calls of importance. Ideally only the raidleader and any other authorised player (for instance trap-dancers on Ragnaros) should be using the voice channel. It may also be good practice to establish prior to raids what kind of information is useful to be broadcast. Here are some example of what may be considered useful information:

1. Certain players may be authorised to announce when a fight mechanic is activated by the player, which will have a significant impact on the raid group (i.e. Ragnaros Traps).

2. Raid leaders call out players to activate cooldowns or battle-rez. The key here is to call out not just the ability but also which player to use it. Nothing worse than two players activating battle-rez on the same player at the same time.

3. A healer may call out when a low-health target is out of range. This will alert other healers that they may need to heal someone.

4. Countdown before the pulls. This allows for pre-potting and good positioning by the raid group.

5. Calling out phase changes or incoming fight mechanics. This should be left to the raid leader and raid leader only.

There are of course many more perfectly valid announcements to make, but it is up to your guild and raid leadership to decide what they are.

What about using more than one channel to split up the raid group? This is a bad idea. Why? Well, first off, I’ve already shown that defensive cooldowns are not just limited to one role but to all. How will you call them if some players are in different channels? Good communication is a valuable tool and is part of good organisation.

Discipline and Attitude

The last two terms I want to mention are discipline and attitude. Again these two go hand in hand. Bad discipline often comes from bad attitude. If a player makes a mistake and his reply is he doesn’t care, well that’s a bad attitude. He should care, as that mistake may have cost the group a kill. It is important to get into the mindset that everything that everyone does matters. The attitude of a player should always be positive, from the raid leader down to the lowest DPS. Raid leaders especially need to lead by example. If the raid leader does not believe a boss is killable, how can he expect the rest of the group to believe that?

As I said before discipline is directly influenced by the attitude of the group. Good discipline is essential to the success of the raid. In military terms discipline is often regarded as “doing what you’ve been asked to do, when asked to do it”. And that’s pretty much it in a nutshell. Good discipline means focusing on your job and executing when called upon. Bad discipline is distracting other players, or arguing when asked to do something. Bad discipline should never be tolerated. Bad discipline and a bad attitude are contagious. Leave it in the group long enough and it will spread. Once again it is up to the raid leader to enforce good discipline, holding all players to the same standards.

Raid Management

All these above topics are part of good raid management. They are also all connected in some way. Improve one area and it will affect another or all other areas. Improve leadership and it will affect organisation and communication, and definitely will have an impact on attitude and discipline. If your guild is struggling on progression, maybe I have just pointed out the issues that your raids are hampered with. With a little change in how you do things you may make a big difference. Implementing changes can be difficult, however. Not everyone will be open to ideas presented here. Difficult choices will need to be made. You may want to call a guild meeting and discuss the goals and focus of your raid teams, before implementing radical changes. One way could be to entice your guildies to give their opinions on what the problems are and then provide your suggestions.

Some people may feel that some points I raised were a little harsh. Remember that I am only discussing some ideas here. If the raid group feels like enforcing such raid rules on communication or attitude, detracts from the fun, then so be it. But what’s more fun than killing bosses? In the end it is up to you to decide what’s right for your guild. Sticking to these methods helped Ultima Ratio to progress through Firelands and maybe some of them can help your guild improve as well.

You're Standing Where?

2011-08-17T08:12:00.001+12:00

MOVE OUT OF THE DAMN FIRE NOOB!

This is what most hunters think of when you mention "positioning", and yes, not standing in fire is very important, but there is a much more subtle meaning to the term, one which top hunters know and allows you to truly maximize your DPS.

When it comes to setting yourself up for a boss fight, there are a couple of questions you have to ask yourself:
Are the things that make me move predictable? (ie: is the position the pop up on preset, like Ragnaros' Sulphuras Smash or random like Magma Traps)
If they are predictable, are they static or mobile?
The main goal is to try and keep out of Aspect of the Fox for as long as possible by keeping your movement to a minimum, and this is what the first question is for. Most abilities are predictable in knowing when they're going to be cast but not all are positioned in a constant way. For the unpredictable, bite the bullet and hope it is in between casts so you aren't interrupting one. The predictable static ones though, here's a hint: stand on the edge. A good example is Valonia's Deep Breathe (DB) in the BOT V&T fight. This is a good example of predictable events and where to stand. Near the wall, not good, it's easy to get caught too far in and then breathed on. Find a spot near the edge of the flames that would be thrown down in the center ( either side will do) and wait. If you are closer to the entrance here's what will happen. DB on entrance, step 1 or 2 steps forward, Center, 1 or 2 back, and exit, no worries. If you watch videos of boss encounters you will see that most ground effects that are predictable and have a sweet spot to stand in that will require very little movement on your part.

Other things to consider are do we have to stack or spread? Where are my healers? Am I close enough to launch my traps as needed? The trick to these questions are look to see where you are at the START of the fight and what the group as a whole are going to do during the encounter. Once you learn how to read raid groups quickly, positioning will come quickly and naturally.

Some tips for when you have to move.:
Macro in your Aspect of the Hawk to your signature shot (ie Chimera),arcane, and serpent sting because these are all shots that don't need AotF to fire on the move.

When you know you have to move, try and time it so you don't have to switch aspect at all and you can keep up ISS (if you're a MM)

Finally, make sure you're pointed in the right direction if you have to move.

Good luck and I hope this helps improve your game. :)

My first video - Soloing Slabhide

2011-08-13T04:40:00.000+12:00

It has been a hectic few weeks and as I understand it Quad has been extremely busy himself. In between raiding, working, sleeping and looking after my family it doesn't leave much time for blogging. My previous job was perfect as I was able to write all my stuff at work and then upload it when I got home. Not so now. But nonetheless I have a post. Over the past few weeks I have been playing around with FRAPS and making WoW videos. And here is the first result a quick 4 minute video of my first attempt at soloing Slabhide. I also had a video of soloing the scorpions and turtles in the Firelands, but with the recent patch that video is now obsolete - didn't matter anyway I never got a drop. Sadface! But back to Slabhide....

Soloing Slabhide

Slabhide is the second boss in The Stonecore, in Deepholm, and he has a chance to drop a pretty nifty flying mount - the vitreous stone drake, and best of all it drops on normal mode.
To solo Slabhide all you need is a tanking pet preferably more than one CC or slow effect and you are set.

The fight itself is ridiculously easy, you'll have more trouble on the trash pulls than on the boss. For the trash use your CCs on the casters, kill the named mob first every time and remember to tranq shot the enraged mobs. Kiting skills come in handy. Once the first boss is activated, go into Camouflage and sneak to Slabhide (or kill Corborus, he also isn't very hard).

As mentioned before Slabhide is very easy. you should be well familiar with his abilities from doing heroics. The only annoying bit is that the stones can put your pet out of line of sight, which it needs to be in for Mend pet. There is also a lot of movement due to the magma pools always being cast on you. So your key here is really just keep moving away from the pools and make sure to stay in line of sight if your pet. So get to it and get yourself a nice new flying mount.

keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Helpful Tips for Applying to a Guild

2011-07-26T07:05:00.002+12:00

Thinking about moving up and applying to a progression orientated guild for some challenging content? Intimidated by the process? Here's some tips to help ease you and your anxiety.

1.Know your class!
Be aware of what is required of your chosen class (most of you are probably hunters if you're reading this) be ready to be asked questions about why you've gemmed and reforged a certain way, or can you change specs and perform as well in it. Nothing will kill an app quicker than having spirit gems on your hunter's gear. Make sure your Professions offer your class the best possible bonus.

2. Know Yourself!
Point out any strengths you have, such as being quick with Misdirects, and also your weakness and what you do to overcome them or work around them.

3. Have previous experience ready and available.
Make sure you are honest about why you've left old guilds, but be diplomatic about it at the same time. Saying you left your old guild because the raid leader was a dick, not good. Saying you left because you and the raid leader diverged on your end game goals and decided to part ways shows a mature attitude and that you are less prone to drama. Also make available any logs you can link to, this helps them know what to expect.

4. Read the Application and Rules carefully.
Some guild applications will have a seemingly simple question in the app some where, this can actually be a test to see if you have read the rules regarding applications. One favorite is to mention something in the info, like "turquoise is your favorite color", then the app will have this:
"Have you read the rules?" followed by "What is your favorite color?". Too many times I've seen yes to reading the rules, followed by "red" when the answer was clearly (in this case) Turquoise.

5. Learn the schedule and how to sign up for raids.
There are different ways that guilds put together a raid. Most common is using the guild calender, but some guilds have sign ups in their forums and some just say "Monday, first pull is 7:30" and the core is there ready to go, and if substitution is needed, they are there ready to go. Make sure your sched matches theirs, and if not, look elsewhere.

6. Be Prepared on Raid night!
Show up in gear, repaired, and provisioned properly. Most guilds will provide feasts and flasks to core, but trials might be left to fend for their own. Don't be the guy who has to ask for a repair bot second pull in, or try to save some gold by not flasking. This shows a lack of commitment, and is a sure way to be passed over when filling a raid next time.

7. Most Important Tip!
Make sure that the guild/s you are applying to fits your goal, style of play and most importantly your personality! Do you enjoy a laid back atmosphere or strict protocol in raid? Do you have a delicate sensibility or do you cuss like a sailor? The most important part of this though, is are they the right skill match? Getting into a guild that fails to mechanics you find simple can be very frustrating to you, and joining a guild that demands you be prepared to jump right into the deep end when you haven't even seen the vids for a fight can be frustrating for them. Try to find a guild that pushes your boundaries and can grow with you.

For you Hunters:
Know your pets and which one is best for raid buffs.
Be aware of your Aspects! (pulling while in Aspect of Pack = fail)
Growl OFF!

With these tips and some common sense, Apping to guilds and trials will be less stressful for you and hopefully help you find your ideal guild quicker.

Beginner Guide to Hunters - Chapter 4: Professions

2011-07-20T02:11:00.000+12:00

At one point or another, during the leveling process, a player will come across profession trainers. Professions allow the hunter to specialise in certain tasks, be it crafting armor or weapons, or gathering a certain type of material. Professions are divided into 2 categories: Primary and secondary. Primary professions include the 3 gathering professions (Mining, Skinning and Herbalism), as well as the 8 major crafting professions (Leatherworking, Enchanting, Jewelcrafting, Alchemy, Blacksmithing, Tailoring, Engineering and Inscription). A character may only train in 2 primary professions at any given time. The remaining professions (Fishing, Cooking, First Aid and Archaeology) are termed secondary professions and a character may train in all of them if they so choose.

Secondary Professions

Secondary professions provide no major bonus for the player and instead are simply support porfessions. They have no impact on primary professions and are often considered mere time-wasters. There is some synergy between Cooking and Fishing (Catch the fish then turn it into buff food) so it is logical to level them together. First Aid and Archaeology are completely independent.

First Aid

First Aid uses cloth collected whilst questing and turns them into bandages. These bandages can than be applied to the character to regenerate health. This is a channeled cast and will apply the "recently bandaged" debuff, which means the character cannot be bandaged again for one minute. These bandages should never be dismissed as useless. They can come in extremely handy when questing on a non-self-healing class without any food, and can even be useful as a defensive cooldown to assist healers.

Fishing

Fishing is exactly what the name implies - fishing. You equip a fishing rod, attach a lure, and then either cast into a pool of fish or into open water. Fishing is a gathering profession and best paired with cooking to reap a maximum benefit. Besides fish it is possible to fish up junk as well as a mount and other crafting materials, depending on where you are fishing. Note that fishing from a pool does not require any fishing level, but fishing from open water will require a zone specific level. Lures temporarily increase your skill in fishing should you find yourself needing to increase it. Although fishing is tedious to level up, there are daily quests available, to make the process more tolerable, providing rewards such as vanity pets and fishing accessories.

Cooking

Cooking uses any fish you may have caught, or meat you may have collected, and allows you to turn it into buff food. Buff food is often used during raids to increase a toon’s stats, but certain buff foods provide a non-combat effect like increasing or decreasing a target's size or causing critters to follow you. Just like with fishing there are daily quest available, providing rewards such as cooking accessories and special recipes.

Archaeology

Archaeology is the ultimate time-sink. It provides no real buff in any situation. It requires the player to visit certain locations identified on your map (4 per continent at a time) then digging for artifact pieces (up to a maximum of 3 times per active site) and then solving these artifacts. Most of these artifacts are non-usable grey junk items which can be vendored, and can vary in vendor value up to 300g. However, after completing an artifact, the player may unlock a plan for a rare or even epic artifact. These can include mounts, vanity pets and even epic weapons and armor. All armor and weapon items are bind-on-account, and can be sent to alts. Currently there are no armor or weapon items useful for a max-level hunter. Archaeology is a great time-sink when waiting for instance queues or sitting during raids.

Primary professions - Gathering

Skinning, Mining and Herbalism are considered gathering professions. They are easiest to level up as they generally do not require any additional materials to level up (the exception is smelting which is a part of mining and even then it is possible to level up without ever smelting anything). They typically require just a tool and and a level approriate node (for herbing or mining) or skinnable mob (obviously for skinning). What makes these professions special, is the fact that as you level one of these professions, the profession provides a permanent special buff that increases as you level up.

Skinning

Skinning allows a player to skin a skinnable mob (mostly beasts) once they have been killed and looted, regardless of who killed or looted the mob. All a player needs is a skinning knife. The leathers that are collected can then be sold on the Auction house or used in any of the crafting professions. As skinning is leveled up the character gains a passive buff, granting a bonus to critical strike rating. From a professions point of view Skinning is best paired with Leatherworking.

Herbalism

Herbalism is the collecting of herbs dotted around the world and does not require any special tools. These herbs can be sold on the Auction house or used in some crafting professions. As herbalism is leveled up, the player gains a special self-heal-over-time which increases in power. It is best to pair Herbalism with either Alchemy or Inscription.

Mining

Mining is the collecting of metals which can be obtained by mining ore nodes dotted around the landscape. A mining pick is required. In addition, miners will also gain the ability to smelt their mined ores into bars. For this they will need to be near a forge, which are normally found in Capital Cities or major outposts.
When leveling Mining, a player will gain a buff to Stamina which will increase as mining is leveled up. Mining is best paired with Blacksmithing, Jewelcrafting or Engineering.

ProTip: for a min-maxing raiding hunter it would be best not to use any of the Primary gathering professions, as the DPS increase is much greater from crafting professions.

Primary Professions - Crafting

Crafting professions are the most difficult to level up. They generally require a large amount of materials only obtained through gathering professions or the Auction House. However, crafting professions provide a considerable stat buff in one form or another, making them extremely attractive to min-max players.

Jewelcrafting

Jewelcrafting allows a player to craft gems, to put into gem sockets, as well as the ability to craft neckpieces and rings. These gear-pieces, however, are really only useful at the very beginning of an expansion (unless Blizzard decides to release better Jewelcrafting designs in future raid tiers), as raid items are generally better itemised. In the current metagame Jewelcrafting is the most popular profession chosen by players. The reasons for that are a multitude. First, is the character specific bonus of being able to equip 3 special jewelcrafter-only gems (Chimera’s Eye). A Normal red socket would provide 40 of a base stat, but a Chimera’s Eye provides 67 of a base stat. So when you consider 3 sockets being used for these gems, that’s an increase of 27 per socket, therefore 3x27 =81, it is a permanent net increase of 81.
Secondly Jewelcrafting is the only crafting profession to have a daily quest associated with it. Thirdly, It is a great money-maker due to the incredible high demand for gems.
Jewelcrafting uses uncut gems and metal bars as materials. Metal bars can be procured from mining or the Auction House, gems can be prospected from stacks of ore (again through mining or the Auction house).

Leatherworking

For hunters this is currently the second best profession to use. This is because of a Leatherworker-only wrist-enchant that increases Agility by 130. Because there is another wrist enchant that provides 50 Agility, the net gain is 80 Agility. This is on par with all the remaining professions. What makes leatherworking more attractive to hunters, is the ability to craft Armor pieces. Unlike Jewelcrafting, almost every raid tier new patterns are also introduced. Most crafted armor pieces are Bind-On-Equip and can be purchased from other players or the Auction House.
Leatherworking uses mainly leather as materials, generally procured from Skinning or the Auction House.

Blacksmithing

Blacksmithing allows a player to craft Plate Armor and Weapons. The DPS bonus provided is the ability to add a prismatic socket to both wrists and gloves. Considering these should ideally be filled with +40 Agi gems, that is a net increase of 80 Agi, again on par. From a hunters’ perspective being able to craft useable melee weapons is nice, but again only at the beginning of an expansion (the plans introduced with Firelands seem to be an exception to the norm).
Blacksmithing uses metal bars which can be obtained through Mining or the Auction house.

Enchanting

Enchanters create scrolls which can be applied to items to permanently increase a particular stat. The DPS bonus for the enchanter, comes in the form of a +40 ring enchant. So enchanting both rings with +40 Agility gains a net increase of 80 Agility. Enchanting is also a big money-maker, as just like jewelcrafting, whenever a new piece is obtained it will need to be enchanted. Enchanting is one of the more annoying professions to level, as materials can only be procured through the Auction house or by disenchanting old gear.

Inscription

Scribes use herbs to create inks, which in turn are used to create glyphs, which boost certain class abilities, or gear items. As with previous non-armor gear crafting professions these items are often only useful at the beginning of an expansion, with the exception of the Card trinkets which can be best-in-slot for a number of raid tiers within an expansion. Scribes get there DPS bonus through a shoulder enchant which provides 130 Agility. With the rep shoulder enchant providing 50, this is again a net increase of 80 Agility.
Inscription uses primarily herbs as materials, which can be obtained through herbalism or the Auction house.

Alchemy

Alchemists are masters at creating flasks, elixirs and potions, as well as transmuting items into better quality items. They get their +80 Agility bonus from a passive talent called Mixology. Alchemists also get increased duration from their flasks, and increased effects from health and mana potions. Another benefit is the crafting of an Agility trinket, but this is only useful at the beginning of the expansion.
Alchemists use herbs for Flasks, elixirs and potions, and gems and metals for transmuting. Choosing a specialty mastery in either Elixirs (Flasks and Elixirs), potions or transmuting gives a chance to gain additional items when crafting them.

Engineering

Engineers design all sorts of crazy gadgets, both designed to make life easier and harder, often at the same time. From a hunter’s perspective, engineers are able to craft very good head gear, ranged weapons as well as scopes, but as per usual the head gear and weapons are only good early in expansions and will generally get replaced by raid items. Secondly, engineers are able to “tinker” with their gear to add some interesting effects. The Gloves tinker Synapse springs adds 480 Agility for 10 seconds with a one minute cooldown. On the face of it this appears to be a net gain of 80 Agility, however the fact that boss-fight mechanics may force delays in popping it every cooldown means this does not have 100% uptime and makes Engineering a less than ideal profession to choose for hunters looking to get the maximum DPS. The belt tinkers (Invisibility, Speed boosts) can give the player some added survivability. These tinkers and past gadgets have made Engineering a popular PvP profession.
Engineering uses mostly metals as materials, which can be obtained through the AH and through Mining.

Funfact: Wat’s the difference between Gnomish and Goblin engineers? The Gnomish engineers will design something, and the Goblin engineers will blow it up...

Tailoring

Tailoring is the worst profession for hunters. The crafted gear is all cloth and intellect gear, which is of no use to a hunter. But to ensure hunters stay away from tailoring, the tailor-only leg enchants only come in Intellect form and the Swordguard Embroidery (backpiece enchant) provides 1000 Attack power for 15sec. and once again on a cooldown. The difference here is that is a chance effect meaning, the player has no control over its activation.
Tailoring uses cloth as materials which can only be obtained through killing humanoids or the Auction house.

Profession Tips

1. Before choosing your professions, consider what the purpose of your hunter is. If it is a raiding toon you may want to go with Leatherworking and Jewelcrafting (currently the ideal combo in terms of DPS and usefulness). But if you are are a PvP player then perhaps Engineering should be considered.

2. If you are considering crafting a piece to upgrade your gear, first consider where any further upgrades may come from. For instance, you may want to craft a pair of boots for your character, but a little research may reveal that boots drop of the first boss in an instance, and is a boss your guild is capable of defeating every weak. Now you must also consider if your guild could be capable of defeating this boss in heroic, making the crafted boots even less worthwhile. Before crafting any gear always check where the best-in-slot items come from.

3. For help with leveling professions check out www.wowprofessions.com. You’ll find leveling guides on all professions here, be it gathering, crafting or secondary professions.

4. I would recommend levelling all 4 of the secondary professions. You never know when they come in handy. As in the real world home-made is always cheaper than bought.

5. Gathering professions, Enchanting and Tailoring should be leveled up as much as possible as your character levels. The same applies if you have a synergy combo such as Skinning/Leatherworking, as you should be able to procure a lot of the materials required on your won without needing the Auction house.

The 3 D's (and a Hidden Bonus)

2011-07-13T05:17:00.004+12:00

To paraphrase The Great Frostheim, regardless of how crappy your tank is, a good hunter should NEVER pull aggro. We should be a blessing to the mediocre and appreciated by the great. I'd like to take that thinking and now apply it to healers. We have the tools to make any healer thankful there is a hunter in the group , but they're hardly ever used. Let us discuss them now and how they can be applied to make our healers life a little easier. I like to call them the 3 D's.

First is a little used shot called Distraction Shot. It used to be great to team this up with misdirection, but Blizzard put a stop to that quite a while back, and a lot of us have left it in our spell book, collecting dust, only to be pulled out on those rare occurrences when we are called on to kite. Dust it off, and put it on your action bar again, especially if you dungeon a lot or have a failmage in your raid! Eventually someone is going to pull aggro from a mob, and once said mob has killed the offender (mages, looking at you) they usually go for the healer. Freezing it works, but there are so many chances for that to go wrong (damn mages, you make a hunters life difficult) it's almost a waste of a GCD to launch. I go for the distracting shot. First, it'll save your healer quick, because a hurt hunter is a lot better than a dead healer. Secondly, it gives you more options to deal with the "rogue mob", such as now placing a trap, or running to the tank, Feign Death, and letting them pick aggro back up. Anyway you look at it, the healer should be ok and still breathing, thankful of having a hunter who is on the ball.

Our second D is Deterrence. I personally love this one due to my less than stellar abilities to move away from things that hurt. A good example is during the V&T fight in BOT. After Blackout has been cast, she uses her Devouring Flame, a nasty ability that will toast you a nice shade of black. If you find yourself in a compromising position ie right in front of her with your back to a wall (guilty!), run at her and hit Deterrence for 5 seconds of snugly protection! Your healer will love the fact that you sacrifice a few points of DPS to save them valuable mana they can use on the failmage who was standing next to you.

Finally we have Disengage, another favorite of mine. I lack the ability to turn and run quickly (actually, that has been solved, but that is a later post) so Disengage is my go to. Something about to eat your face and FD is still on cooldown? Disengage! Fire under your feet? Disengage! Tank lost aggro and there's a mage beside you? Definitely Disengage! The best way to reduce damage taken is to avoid it all together, and Disengage does that nicely. Word of warning though. Make sure you have something to land on behind you, or the taunting will not end for months (I know this all too well. My guild note for a year was "Likes to jump off cliffs!")
These are my 3 D's, and healers will come to love them if they get hunters who use them. Please use them because we all know that healers need that extra mana to help those damn mages!

Oh yea, the Bonus! Make your healers extra happy on the Neferian fight by swapping out a major glyph with Glyph of Raptor Strike, which reduces damage done by 20% for 5 seconds after using Raptor Strike, perfect for phase 2 on the pillars and the final burn on Nef himself. In both cases, you can use your melee abilities at the same time as you use your ranged abilities, so when the warning comes for his crackle, Raptor Strike! The effect is noticeable and helpful.

The past and the future - expanding The Hunter's Arsenal

2011-07-07T13:42:00.000+12:00

Greetings to you all from the Firelands. I have been extremely busy with my new job, raiding Firelands with my new guild (I got the crossbow of Ryolith, woot!!) and having my mother visit one week and my best friend visiting right now for two weeks, so my spare time for blogging has been at an absolute minimum. I have been seeking to address this by recruiting another writer and it appears I have found my partner in crime - my fellow guildie, and hunter of infamy, Quadilious.

If you haven't heard of Quad before don't despair and check out his blog "The Strange Tale of Quadilious", especially The Setup page for some amazing videos. I am extremely excited to have Quad join me here at The Hunter's Arsenal and hope that this spells a productive and fruitful future for this blog.

With this new addition we are currently discussing changes that we will be making. First and foremost the Beginner Guide to Hunters series will continue, so don't worry. Secondly with Quad's expert knowledge of in-game videos, we will be releasing some Firelands boss kill videos very soon - All from the perspective of a hunter. We are also looking at completely redesigning this page, but that is very low on the priority list right now.

So exciting times are ahead. Once again a huge welcome to Quadilious and I can't wait to read his first post for The Hunter's Arsenal.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Beginner Guide to Hunters - Chapter 3: Understanding Stats

2011-06-23T19:56:00.001+12:00

We have so far discussed the basic backgrounds of hunters and their talent trees and have mentioned stats on a number of occasions. Stats is a term given to the character attributes. If you open your character panel (C) and click the arrow on the bottom right to see your stat side panel, you'll see what basically makes your character tick. These numeric values is what we are talking about when we talk about stats. The ones that interest us from a hunter's perspective are base stats and ranged stats.

Base stats are the primary stats of all characters. These define our health pool (stamina), mana regeneration (Spirit), and basic damage/healing output (Agility, strength, intellect depending on the class). All base stats except Spirit cannot be reforged. The only primary stat of interest for a hunter is Agility. Agility not only influences our Attack power, but also our critical strike rating.

1 Agility = 2 Attack Power + 0.552 critical strike rating (0.0031%)

It is by far the most useful stat for us, and we should strive to attain as much of it as possible.

If you scroll down to our ranged stats, you will be greeted by what we term our secondary stats. These would be Hit Rating, Critical Strike rating, Haste and Mastery. These stats also directly influence our DPS output, but not to the degree that Agility does. Secondary stats all have different effects on hunters and their effectiveness can differ from spec to spec.

The importance of Critical Strike Rating, Haste and mastery differ depending on the hunter spec chosen.

FunFact: Why don't Warriors enchant their weapons with Intellect? Well, because they don't want their weapons to be smarter than they are, of course....

Hit Rating

Hit rating determines our chances that our shots may miss. For almost every DPS class this is the second most important stat behind the classes' respective base stat. However, Hit rating has a cap (which is generally easy to attain), meaning it has a value that if reached, means the character won't miss anymore and any more points in hit rating above this cap are wasted. This is called a hard Cap. For current content the hit cap stands at 8% or 961 for hunters (or 841 for Draenei hunters due to their 1% hit racial bonus). With the release of Cataclysm it was announced that Hit rating would now scale with the release of new content, meaning that with every new raid patch the hit Rating cap would increase. As I just don't have the time to play around on the PTR i cannot confirm or deny this rumour. But in either case you have been warned.

ProTip: Try to avoid gemming for Hit Rating as you are sacrificing a potential Agility gem for a lesser Hit Rating gem. Use reforging as much as possible to reach the Hit cap, as this way you will be exchanging a lesser stat for a better one.

Critical Strike Rating

Critical Strike rating determines the percentage of shots critically hit (deal extra critical damage on top of the shots normal damage). The higher your critical strike rating, the higher the chance of your shots doing critical damage (critting). Critical Strike Rating, like Hit Rating also has a Hard Cap, of just over 100% (100.6%). However, Crit also has soft caps which are points of percentages where, if reached, any more points would have less of an impact. These are generally determined by Talents. An example of this is the Talent Careful Aim (30/60% crit chance to Aimed Shot and Steady Shot to targets above 80% health) which introduces a soft cap of 40.6% (if taken 2/2 in Careful Aim) at which point, because of this talent any more Crit will not improve the critical Strike chance of Aimed Shot or Steady Shot on targets above 80%, any further as they would already be at 100.6%. Also consider that not all specs will have the same soft caps. Survival hunters that didn't take Careful Aim for instance, will not have the above mentioned soft cap. Beastmaster hunters that use Improved Kill command will have another soft cap in regards to that talent. Most of these caps, be it soft or hard caps will prove difficult to attain. i will discuss each spec-specific caps when we discuss these specs in-depth.

Haste Rating

Haste affects a hunter's attack speed, focus regeneration and cast times. The more haste a hunter has, the quicker he will fire his auto-shot, regenerate focus and the shorter cast times will be. Haste is generally difficult to quantify as its effects on the hunter are multiple. Haste also has caps, often referred to as Plateaus. Haste plateaus are points when a hunter has an amount of haste that allows him to weave an extra Cobra or Steady Shot in his rotation without delaying any of his instant shots. This also means that the importance of haste will differ depending on the amount of haste a hunter has, but more on that shortly. You can read more on haste plateaus on www.warcrafthuntersunion.com.

Mastery Rating

Mastery affects the spec specific mastery talent only. The higher the Mastery, the bigger the effect of the mastery talent is. For Survival it increases a hunter's magic damage, for Marksman it increases the proc chance of Wild Quiver (the chance to fire an extra auto shot) and for beastmastery it increases pet damage.

Resilience (PvP only)

If rolling a PvP hunter than Resilience becomes probably the second most important statistic. Resilience reduces the chance that you can be critically hit by another player. In PvP survivability is paramount.

Stat Weights

The importance of Critical Strike Rating, Haste and mastery differ depending on the hunter spec chosen. This difference of importance is referred to as stat weight. As mentioned earlier our prime stat Agility is the most preferred stat for hunters meaning it has a higher stat weight than all other stats. Stat weights can change throughout the life of a hunter. Stat weights are influenced by patch nerfs and buffs. Depending on the changes Blizzard may introduce in future patches or expansion the importance of a stat may change. An example of this was haste. In Wrath haste was the least important stat but with class changes introduced in Cataclysm, haste has become much more important.

Stat weights will also change depending on which spec a hunter chooses. All 3 specs place different value on each of the secondary stats. Survival will value haste more than beast mastery for example. And lastly the amount of stats already attained will directly influence stat weights as well. As mentioned earlier any soft and hard caps will generally lower the weight of that stat, whereas approaching a haste plateau will increase the stat weight of haste, but once a haste plateau is reached the stat weight of any further haste will drop until approaching the next haste plateau.

When trying to understand why a stat is better than another, it is best to consider what effects the stat will have on the hunter, and how much a stat has an effect on abilities. For example critical strike rating affects every single shot a hunter fires as well pet damage. Haste rating does not affect instant shots. Mastery may only affect certain abilites depending on the spec. Although hit rating only reduces your chance to miss, consider what good are any of the other stats if your arrows and pet attacks can't hit the target. So if you are ever wondering why a spec favors one stat over another, have a think about what benefits your spec will gain from each stat.

Increasing your stats

In World of Warcraft there are a multitude of ways to improve your stats. First and foremost is an automatic increase each time you level up. The next obvious way is by obtaining better gear. Furthermore stats can be increased by upgrading gear through enchants and gems. Then there's secondary stat manipulation through Reforging and lastly is temporary buffing of stats through spells (called buffs) and consumables such as food, elixirs and potions. We will discuss most of these in-depth later in our guides.

Reforging

Reforging was introduced with patch 4.0. It allows the player to convert 40% of any one secondary stat (except resilience but including Spirit) into another stat that is not already on the piece of gear you are reforging. For instance if a piece of gear had Haste and Mastery you could reforge 40% of either stat into a stat not on the piece (i.e crit or hit). Here is where stat weights play a major role as you would ideally want to reforge a lesser stat into a more valued one. Consider that reforging each piece will cost you some gold so think carefully about how to best reforge. You should also consider using sites such as askmrrobot.com to help you reforge efficiently. it is best used in conjunction with Femaledwarf.com to reforge using accurate stat weights.

ProTip: Pursue socket bonuses only if the total Agility + secondary stat including the socket bonus would be higher than the total Agility gained using Red gems. I.e. An item has 1 yellow sockets, 1 blue socket and a socket bonus of 20 Agility. If gemmed with just Agility the bonus received is 80 Agility. If socket bonus is achieved using 1 Agi/crit gem and 1 Agi/hit gem the total bonus is only 60 Agility + 20 crit + 20 hit. 80 Agility is better than 60 Agility + 20 crit + 20 hit. Consider another item again with 2 sockets this time red and yellow and a socket bonus of 20 Agility. Now if we were to achieve the socket bonus using one red Agility gem and one Agi/crit gem we would get 80 Agility + 20 crit rating which is better than just 80 Agility.

Progression Raiding with Ultima Ratio

2011-06-23T15:35:00.002+12:00

As recently posted I have left Khaz'goroth with 4 of my toons and transferred to Icecrown US. I immediately began scouting for guilds, but guilds that needed hunters were hard to come by. I had almost given up hope when a person I met in a PUG suggested I should apply to Ultima Ratio. Ultima Ratio is one of the server's top Alliance guild with 6/13 heroic completed which was well ahead of where I was hoping to land. I had spent the last few weeks farming ZA and ZG to turn my last remaining blues into epics. To be honest I didn't hold much hope when I applied, but nonetheless in the faint chance that my lack of heroic raiding experience and gear level may be overlooked, I put effort into my application. It literally took hours to prepare. I didn't want to leave anything to chance. I wanted to make sure that Ultima Ratio understood that I understood my class and had great raid etiquette, and most importantly that my lack of Cataclysm heroic raiding experience came from a combination of things outside of my control.

Well, as it turned out they like my app. I joined Ultima Ratio and have since been invited to a week of raiding. Ultima Ratio cleared both Bastion of Twilight and Blackwing Descent (except Sinestra) with their usual progression of 6 fights on heroic. I was only asked to sit on heroic Valiona and Theralion and heroic Magmaw, staying in on Heroic Halfus, Chimaeron, Atramedes, Maloriak and normal Omnotron, Ascendant Council, Cho'gall and Nefarian.

Initially I wasn't very happy with my performance. I died early on, on heroic Halfus (aggro after a tank dropped), and D/Ced during Ascendant council. Throughout the rest of the fights I was lucky to be middle of the pack at times, mostly near the bottom (but never lowest of the DPS). I did discuss my performance with one of the raid leaders, and he felt that my performance was, although not spectacular, considering the circumstances, quite solid. What circumstances you ask? Well, first of all my gear level was considerably lower than the rest of the groups, with only a 2-piece bonus and still four ZA epic pieces equipped (melee, ranged, shoulder and bracer slots). On top of that I had never done any fights on heroic, and never seen either Nefarian or Cho'gall. I had attempted Atramedes and Ascendant Council but never killed them. I did spend the 2 days after joining UR, prior to raid days, watching all heroic movies multiple times, but theory can only teach you so much. And lastly, I raided both days as Survival (not a negative, just a circumstance). I must say I felt very happy with the fact that I did not die to any particular boss mechanic, even on fights I had never done before, proving that researching fights helps a great deal.

I did take heart in the fact that both of the Cho'gall attempts I was the top hunter DPS, but that may have more to do with the fact that it is quite Survival friendly (as was heroic Maloriak, another fight I did pretty well on). With 4.2 scheduled for release on the 28th rather than this week, I have the opportunity to test my Marksman skills once more before Firelands hits. I am hoping to improve on my numbers this week.

I have since changed my main spec to Marksman and spent the last few days practicing shot priorities and strategies on training dummies and ZA runs, with promising results. I must say it was an absolute pleasure to raid with Ultima Ratio. They were extremely professional during raid and have been extremely supportive. I feel like I have gained some level of acceptance already. I was not expecting to receive any gear, so to be rewarded with 3 heroic pieces including (heroic tier chest) and the tier helm (I now have achieved 4-piece bonus) was a huge surprise. At least gear is no longer an excuse for me.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Beginner Guide to Hunters - Chapter 2: Talent Tree Basics

2011-06-18T19:11:00.003+12:00

Chapter 2 - Azeroth has Talent(trees)

In this chapter we will discuss the basics of talent trees, the different talents contained within them, and their effects on the hunter. We will discuss end-game (raiding) talent trees in the spec specific chapters later on in this guide.

Talent trees are the back bone of all classes. Here is where the magic happens, where the decision is made of what kind of player you want to be. A hunter has it a little easier than other classes, in the fact that no matter which specialization of the talent tree a hunter chooses, his primary role within the game usually stays the same. The only thing that changes is how the hunter goes about doing his business.

At level 10 a new player will receive a talent point. During the leveling process you will obtain more talent points until you reach a total of 41 at level 85. These talent points can then be spent in your talent tree to unlock new abilities or statistical bonuses. Be aware that once you choose a specialization you will be forced to spend at least 31 points in that particular tree before being allowed to branch out into another tree. So for the majority of the leveling process you will be stuck within one and the same talent tree.

At this point in time a new hunter may decide to simply just go online and look up the best leveling spec around, and if you are a veteran player who knows all about talent trees from other specs then sure go ahead. But if you are new to the game I suggest to spend a little time learning about talent trees yourself and let the game decide for you.

When you first gain a talent point you can press N to open up your talent tree window at which point you should be greeted with the summary window. Here you can see the three different specs available to choose from, their primary role within the game and its mastery bonus (more on this in the stats chapter). For a hunter every single spec is a competent leveling spec, with Beast mastery and Marksman often preferred.

When spending points within the talent tree there are a number of limitations that will influence your decision. First, you must start at the top of the tree and work your way sequentially down the tiers. Secondly, unlocking new tiers is limited to the amount of points already spend. For instance to unlock the second tier of talents you need to have spent at least 5 points in the first, but to unlock the third tier you need to have spent a total of 10 points in either tier one or two. All talent trees have 7 tiers, with the seventh being a single final ability that defines the spec.

Once talent points are spent and learned, it costs gold at the class trainer to make changes, and to make changes you will have to start from scratch. So be careful in making your choices as mistakes can end up being costly ones.

When deciding on which spec to choose, a new player must consider all advantages and disadvantages of the spec. As mentioned earlier all 3 specs are designed to be DPS specs as that is the hunters primary focus, but the 3 specs do go about it in different ways.

The different specs

Beast Mastery, as the name implies, is all about your pet. Most talents in this tree are about improving your companion and less about the hunter. This is fantastic for leveling as you can have your pet do all the dirty work for you. However its strength is also its biggest weakness. Should the pet die the hunter will lose almost half of his damage output and be left very vulnerable. This spec is very much a double-edged sword, and remains such even in end-game content.

Marksmanship on the other hand, is all about improving the hunter's physical damage output. It is an extremely effective single target DPS spec, capable of dealing a lot of damage very quickly. For leveling in particular it is a popular spec as it is capable of killing mobs with only 1-2 shots. Marksmanship, with its heavy reliance on Steady Shot and the long cast time Aimed Shot, is the least effective when it comes to movement heavy fights. It's shot rotation is also the most complex of the 3 specs.

Survival is the final spec and it too, is all about improving the hunter. Again as the name implies it does so not just by buffing the damage but also the hunters survivability and utility through use of traps and other means. Survival is also the best AoE spec of the 3. it is the least popular of the specs in terms of leveling, because of its tendency to generate a lot of threat, meaning mobs are likely to go after the hunter rather than his pet. It, is however a very popular end-game spec, as it is extremely competent in all raid situations.

Choosing talents

So we have decided on a spec and it is time to spend our hard earned talent points. When spending talent points we have to consider what is best for the character and what will make leveling easier. Also consider that there 3 ways to level and each would require a different build, the 3 ways being Questing, Dungeons and PvP (there is a 4th way with Archaeology but seriously).

When choosing questing as your way to level you will want to find talents increase your damage output, but also talents that may help your or your pets survivability. Hunters are very capable of taking on Group quests on their own if talented properly. Questing is by far the most lenient way to level in terms of forgiveness towards the talents.

Dungeons are instances which contain difficult groups of mobs and boss fights designed to introduce the player to what it will be like once at end-game content. it will introduce all sorts of different fight mechanics as well as introduce players to fulfilling their class's particular role in a group environment. That means for a hunter it is the role of DPS and Crowd Controller. If the player chooses to level up through dungeon runs, all talents should be chosen with increasing damage output in mind. Only if no DPS increasing talents are available and more points are needed to unlock the next tier, should a survivability or utility talent be chosen.

If the player would like to level up through PvP then a certain balance is required between damage, survivability and utility. Because not only will a hunter be dealing damage in a PvP environment but also must he survive long enough to do this and be able to control the damage or healing output of his target. Ideally a hunter would choose either Marksman or Survival as a PvP leveling spec as only those two provide a good balance of Damage, utility and Survivability, with Survival providing it's utility and Survivability bonuses a lot earlier in the tree than Marksman.

So finally lets have a look at all the different talents available.

Beastmastery overview

Tier 1

Improved Kill Command - Rank 0/2

- Increase the critical strike chance of your Kill Command by 5/10%.

This talent is a staple of the Beastmaster tree with Kill Command being the signature ability. DPS increasing talent.

One With Nature - Rank 0/3

- Increases the attack power bonus of your Aspect of the Hawk by 10/20/30%, and increases the amount of focus restored by your Aspect of the Fox by 1/2/3.

Used by all endgame specs. DPS increasing talent. Useful in all situations.

Bestial Discipline - Rank 0/3

- Increases the Focus regeneration of your pets by 10/20/30%.

DPS increasing talent. Used in Beastmaster and Marksman endgame specs.

Tier 2

Pathfinding - Rank 0/2

- Increases the speed bonus of your Aspect of the Cheetah and Aspect of the Pack by 4/8% and increases your speed while mounted by 5/10%, The mounted movement speed increase does not stack with other effects.

Useful leveling talent only. Quicker movement makes leveling faster.

Spirit Bond - Rank 0/2

- While your pet is active, you and your pet will regenerate 1/2% of total health every 10 sec., and increases healing done to you and your pet by 5/10%.

This talent can be useful for leveling if you find you and your pet are dying to quick. Not really used in endgame raiding. Survivability talent. Also commonly used for Solo Pet Tanking specs.

Frenzy - Rank 0/3

- Your pet gains 2/4/6% attack speed after attacking with a Basic Attack, lasting for 10 sec and stacking up to 5 times.

DPS increasing talent. Staple for Beastmaster and Marksman Raiding specs.

Improved Mend Pet - Rank 0/2

- Gives the Mend Pet ability a 25/50% chance of cleansing 1 Curse, Disease, Magic or Poison effect from the pet each tick.

Survivability talent. A weak talent with situational use only. Popular in Solo Pet Tanking specs.

Tier 3

Cobra Strikes - Rank 0/3

- You have a 5/10/15% chance when you hit with Arcane Shot to cause your pet's next 2 Basic Attacks to critically hit.

DPS increasing talent. Staple for Beastmaster raid specs. Useful for leveling and PvP also.

Fervor - 2 min cooldown

- Instantly restores 50 Focus to you and your pet.

Special ability. Increases DPS. Allround useful.

Focus Fire - 15 sec cooldown

- Consumes your pet's Frenzy Effect stack, restoring 4 Focus to your pet and increasing your ranged haste by 3% for each Frenzy Effect stack consumed. Lasts for 15 sec.

Special Ability. Increases DPS. Allround useful.

Tier 4

Longevity - Rank 0/3

- Reduces the cooldown of your Bestial Wrath, Intimidation and Pet Special Abilities by 10/20/30%.

DPS increasing talent. Beastmaster raiding staple. Must have in any spec using Bestial Wrath.

Killing Streak - Rank 0/2

- When you score two Kill Command critical hits in a row, your third will deal 10/20% more damage and have its cost reduced by 10 focus.

DPS increasing talent. Again great synergy with BM signature ability Kill Command. Less important for leveling though.

Tier 5

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Chimera - Rank 0/2

- Whenever you are hit by a melee attack, the cooldown of your Disengage is instantly reduced by 2/4 sec.

- Whenever you are hit by a ranged attack or spell, the cooldown of your Deterrence is instantly reduced by 4/8 sec.

- These effects have a 2 sec cooldown.

Survivability talent. Definitely designed with PvP in mind.

Bestial Wrath - 100 yd range - 2 min cooldown

- Send your pet into a rage causing 20% additional damage for 10 sec. The beast does not feel pity or remorse or fear and it cannot be stopped unless killed.

Special Ability. Besides Kill Command, probably the ability that defines Beastmastery. If building a beastmaster spec this is a must have. Useful in all aspects of play be it raiding, leveling, PvP, etc.

Ferocious Inspiration - Passive

- All party and raid members have all damage increased by 3% within 100 yards of your pet.

DPS increasing talent. This is the trees raid buff. Therefore a must have in raid specs. Less important in leveling and PvP but still useful.

Tier 6

Kindred Spirits - Rank 0/2

- Increases you and your pets maximum focus by 5/10.

DPS increasing talent. A solid talent useful in all spec scenarios.

The Beast Within

- While your pet is under the effects of Bestial Wrath, you also go into a rage causing 10% additional damage and reducing the focus cost of all shots and abilities by 50% for 10 sec.

This talent goes hand in hand with Bestial Wrath and should be considered as useful. DPS increasing talent.

Invigoration - Rank 0/2

- When your pet scores a critical hit with a Basic Attack, you instantly regenerate 3/6 focus.

DPS increasing talent. Popular in raid specs. Not essential in leveling or PvP.

Tier 7

Beast Mastery - Passive

- You master the art of Beast training, teaching you the ability to tame Exotic pets and increasing your total amount of Pet Skill Points by 4.

DPS increasing talent. makes your pets significantly superior to all other spec pets. If building a BM spec, this is what you build towards.

Marksmanship overview

Tier 1

Go for the Throat - Rank 0/2

- Your ranged auto-shot critical hits cause your pet to generate 10 Focus.

DPS increasing talent. Used in all raid specs. Not essential in leveling situations.

Efficiency - Rank 0/3

- Reduces the focus cost of your Arcane Shot by 3, and your Explosive Shot and Chimera Shot by 6.

DPS increasing talent. Solid talent in a world where focus management is paramount. Staple for almost all raid specs and leveling specs.

Rapid Killing - Rank 0/2

- After killing an opponent that yields experience or honor, your next Aimed Shot, Steady Shot or Cobra Shot causes 10% additional damage. lasts 20 sec.

DPS increasing talent. Useful for leveling where mobs are killed in quick succession. Optional for raiding specs as its usefulness would be primarily for Trash groups.

Tier 2

Sic 'Em - Rank 0/2

- When you critcally hit with your Arcane Shot, Aimed Shot or Explosive Shot the focus cost of your Pet's next basic attack is reduced by 50/100% for 12 sec.

DPS increasing talent. Much better talent than one might expect. Popular in almost all raid specs. less important in leveling specs but still useful.

Improved Steady Shot - Rank 0/3

- When you Steady Shot twice in a row, your ranged attack speed will be increased by 5/10/15% for 8 sec.

One of the most important talents for MM raid specs. DPS increasing talent.

Careful Aim - Rank 0/2

- Increases the critical strike chance of your Steady Shot, Cobra Shot and Aimed Shot by 30/60% on targets who are above 80% health.(90% after 4.2)

Very good raid talent. Will be slightly nerfed in 4.2, enough for Survival and BM to consider using a different talent, but still must have for MM raid specs. Not very good for leveling where mobs stay above 80% for less than a second.

Tier 3

Silencing Shot - 35 Focus - 20 sec cooldown

- A shot that silences the target and interrupts spellcasting for 3 sec.

Utility talent. Popular in raid and PvP specs. Also useful in leveling specs but not essential.

Concussive Barrage - Rank 0/2

- Your successful Chimera Shot and Multi Shot attacks have a 50/100% chance to daze the target for 4 sec.

Utility talent. Ideal for leveling and farming. Also useful in PvP. Less popular in raid specs.

Piercing Shots - Rank 0/3

- Your critical Aimed, Steady and Chimera Shots cause the target to bleed for 10% of the damage dealt over 8 sec.

DPS increasing talent. Solid MM talent.

Tier 4

Bombardment - Rank 0/2

- When you critically hit with your Multi-Shot your next Multi-Shot's focus cost will be reduced by 25/50%.

DPS increasing talent. Popular in MM raid specs to improve AoE capabilities. Also useful in leveling and PvP, but considered optional for all.

Trueshot Aura

- Increases the attack power of party and raid members within 100 yards by 10%.

DPS increasing talent. THis is the MM raid buff. Useful if not already provided in raid.

Termination - Rank 0/2

- Your Steady Shot and Cobra Shot abilities grant an additional 3/6 Focus when dealt on targets at or below 25%.

DPS increasing talent. Optional in MM raid specs. Not that useful in leveling specs.

Resistance is Futile - Rank 0/2

- When your marked target attempts to run, flee or move, you have a 4/8% chance to cause your next Kill Command on the marked target within 8 sec to refund the focus cost.

DPS increasing talent. Optional in MM raid specs. Useful for leveling and PvP.

Tier 5

Rapid Recuperation - Rank 0/2

- You gain 6/12 focus every 3 sec while under the effect of Rapid Fire, and you gain 25 Focus instantly when you gain Rapid killing.

DPS increasing talent. Really amplifies Rapid Fire phases. Very good in raid environments.

Master Marksman - Rank 0/3

- You have a 20/40/60% chance when you Steady Shot to gain the Master Marksman effect lasting 30 sec. After reaching 5 stacks, your next Aimed Shot's cast time and focus cost are reduced by 100% for 10 sec.

DPS increasing talent. MM raid staple.

Readiness - 3 min cooldown

- When activated, this ability immediately finishes the cooldown on all Hunter abilities.

Special Ability. DPS increasing talent. Very good MM talent in all situations. Must have if building MM spec, regardless of purpose.

Tier 6

Posthaste - Rank 0/2

- Reduces the cooldown of your Rapid Fire by 1 min, and your movement speed is increased by 15% for 4 sec after you use Disengage.

DPS increasing talent. Very strong raid and PvP talent. Also useful in leveling situations.

Marked for Death - Rank 0/2

- Your Arcane Shot and Chimera Shot have a 50/100% chance to automatically apply the Marked for Death effect. Marked for Death is the same as Hunter's Mark but undispellable, does not restrict stealth or invisibility and lasts 15 sec.

Utility talent. Often used in raid specs, but really just optional. Not very good on single target fights but exceptional on trash groups and target switching fights as well as PvP.

Tier 7

Chimera Shot - 50 Focus - 10 sec cooldown

- An instant shot that causes ranged weapon damage plus 1620, refreshing the duration of your Serpent Sting and healing you for 5% of your total health.

Signature Ability. Big damage, enough said.

Survival overview

Tier 1

Hunter vs. Wild - Rank 0/3

Increases your total Stamina by 5/10/15%.

Survivability talent. Very popular in PvP builds and leveling builds. Optional talent for raid builds.

Pathing - Rank 0/3

- Increases ranged haste by 1/2/3%.

DPS increasing talent. Must have in all raid builds. Very good for all purposes.

Improved Serpent Sting - Rank 0/2

- Your Serpent Sting also does instant damage equal to 15/30% of its total periodic effect.

- Also increases the periodic critical strike chance of your Serpent Sting by 5/10%.

DPS increasing talent. Strong for Survival builds, but better options are available for MM or BM specs.

Tier 2

Survival Tactics - Rank 0/2

- Reduces the chance that your trap spells will be resisted by 4%, and reduces the cooldown of your Disengage ability by 4 sec.

Survivability talent. Vey useful for PvP and leveling specs.

Trap Mastery - Rank 3

- Ice Trap and Freezing Trap - Increases the duration by 30%.

- Immolation Trap, Explosive Trap and Black Arrow - Increases the periodic damage done by 30%.

- Snake Trap - Increases the number of snakes summoned by 6.

Allround talent. Very strong in any situation. Should be taken in any Survival spec.

Entrapment - Rank 0/2

- When your Ice Trap or Snake Trap are triggered you entrap all afflicted targets, preventing them from moving for 2/4 sec.

Utility talent. Useful for raid specs. Very good for PvP and leveling specs.

Point of No Escape - Rank 0/2

- Increases the ranged critical strike chance of all of your attacks on targets affected by your Ice Trap and Freezing Trap by 3/6%.

DPS increasing talent. Optional for raid specs. useful for PvP.

Tier 3

Thrill of the Hunt - Rank 0/3

- You have a 5/10/15% chance when you use Arcane Shot, Explosive Shot or Black Arrow to instantly regain 40% of the base focus cost of the shot.

DPS increasing talent. Survival raid staple.

Counterattack - Melee Range - 5 sec cooldown

- A strike that becomes active after parrying an opponent's attack. This attack deals AP*0.2+320 damage and immobilizes the target for 5 sec. Counterattack cannot be blocked, dodged, or parried.

Special Ability. PvP Talent. May have some use when leveling.

Lock and Load - Rank 0/2

- You have a 50/100% chance when you trap a target with Freezing Trap or Ice Trap to cause your next 2 Arcane Shot or Explosive Shot abilities to cost no focus and trigger no cooldown. Effect lasts for 12 sec.

DPS increasing talent. Goes hand in hand with Signature Shot (Explosive Shot). Should always be taken when building a Survival spec.

Tier 4

Resourcefulness - Rank 0/3

- Reduces the cooldown of all traps and Black Arrow by 2/4/6 sec.

DPS increasing talent. Average talent, mostly used because nothing better is available in raid specs. Very useful in PvP situations however.

Mirrored Blades - Rank 0/2

- When attacked by a spell while in Deterrence, you have a 50/100% chance to reflect it back at the attacker.

Survivability talent. Very good PvP talent. less important in leveling specs. Unused in raiding specs.

T.N.T. - Rank 0/2

- When you deal periodic damage with your Immolation Trap, Explosive Trap or Black Arrow you have a 6/12% chance to trigger Lock and Load.

DPS increasing talent. Same importance as Lock and Load.

Tier 5

Toxicology - Rank 0/2

- Increases the periodic critical damage of your Serpent Sting and Black Arrow by 50/100%.

DPS increasing talent. Due to Serpent Sting's importance in survival specs, this is a strong talent for Survival builds.

Wyvern Sting - 10 Focus - 1 min cooldown

- A stinging shot that puts the target to sleep for 30 sec. Any damage will cancel the effect. When the target wakes up, the Sting causes 2736 Nature damage over 6 sec. Only one Sting per Hunter can be active on the target at a time.

Utility and DPS increasing talent. Very good in PvP and leveling situations. Gives extra CC ability in raid environment.

Noxious Stings - Rank 0/2

- Increases your ranged damage done on targets afflicted by your Serpent Sting by 5/10%.

- If Wyvern Sting is dispelled, the dispeller is also afflicted by Wyvern Sting lasting 25/50% of the duration remaining.

Utility and DPS increasing talent. Goes hand in hand with Wyvern Sting. Also very strong in raid environment with Serpent Sting component.

Hunting Party

- Increases your total Agility by an additional 2%, and increases the Ranged and Melee Attack Speed of all party and raid members by 10%.

DPS increasing talent. Survival raid buff. Must have in Survival raid specs, but also good in leveling and PvP specs.

Tier 6

Sniper Training - Rank 0/3

- Increases the critical strike chance of your Kill Shot ability by 5/10/15%, and after remaining stationary for 6 sec, your Steady Shot and Cobra Shot deal 2/4/6% more damage for 15 sec.

DPS increasing talent. A staple in all Survival specs.

Serpent Spread - Rank 0/2

- Targets hit by your Multi-Shot are also afflicted by your Serpent Sting equal to 6/9 sec of its total duration.

DPS increasing talent. This is a very strong AoE talent, that turns Survival into one of the best AoE specs around. Very good in raid and leveling situations, less so in PvP.

Tier 7

Black Arrow - 35 Focus - 30 sec cooldown

- Fires a Black Arrow at the target, dealing 2035 Shadow damage over 15 sec. Black Arrow shares a cooldown with other Fire Trap spells.

Special Ability. A somewhat weak talent in my opinion, but it will get buffed in 4.2 making it a must have in raid specs. With its potential to proc LnL (through previous talent) it becomes much more important.

There will be more on specs, specifically raiding and end-game specs in a later chapter. But now that we understand the basics of Talent trees join us again next time when we disect everything you need to know about statistics.

Beginner Guide to Hunters - Chapter 1: Factions and Races

2011-06-10T13:49:00.000+12:00

Factions and Races

We now understand enough about the role of hunters to dive into creating one. When rolling (term given to the process of character creation) a new hunter, the first choice we must make is which side to choose: Will you choose the Alliance, or will you fight for the Horde. If you have never played any Warcraft games then this choice becomes trivial as there is no good or evil side from a gameplay point of view, although anyone who has played will probably argue that point.

Once we've decided on a faction we must choose a race. All but the gnomes of the Alliance can be hunters. The choice of race can be based on two factors: The look of the character and the racial bonuses the race provides. THis is to say that if you don't care about which race gives which bonus then go ahead and pick the one that looks the coolest to you. But if you are interested in racial bonuses and which race may statistically do more damage than the other in a given situation, then read on as we go through each race one by one and look at the racials that really benefit a hunters' DPS. I will not discuss racials that improve professions or give defensive bonuses (such as resistances). Note that the list of racials posted below the discussion was directly taken from WoWwiki.com, so please if any info is wrong let me know and I shall correct it.

Alliance - Worgen

Worgens were only introduced with the release of Cataclysm. They are a race of Werewolves who hail from the kingdom of Gilneas. Worgens have by far the best racial DPS bonus on the side of the Alliance, increasing a characters critical strike rating by 1%. On top of that they also gain a racial ability called Darkflight, which increases their movement speed by 15% for 10 seconds. This is extremely handy for hunters interested in Raiding or PvP allowing players to quickly move away from enemies or out of bad stuff on the ground.

[Darkflight] : Activates your true form, increasing movement speed by 40% for 10 sec. 3 minute cooldown.

[Viciousness] : Increases critical strike chance by 1%.

[Aberration] : Shadow and Nature Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

[Flayer] : Skinning skill increased by 15 and increases skinning speed.

[Two Forms] : Turn into your currently inactive form. 1.5 sec cooldown.

[Running Wild] : Drop to all fours to run as fast as a wild animal. Serves as the worgen "mount".

Alliance - Dwarf

The dwarves of Ironforge and Dun Morogh were for a long time considered the best choice for hunters from a DPS point of view, that was until Worgens came around. Those stunty little buggers now have to settle for no.2 (or arguably no.3) on the list. Their racial DPS bonus is also a 1% increase to Critical strike rating, but only whilst having a gun equipped. They get nada, zip, zilch, null,zero, nothing (you get the picture) when equipping bows or crossbows. Their second useful racial is Stoneform which is a self-debuff remover (but not all), which can be useful in raids and PvP.

[Stoneform] : Activate to remove poison, disease, and bleed effects; +10% Armor; Lasts 8 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.

[Gun Specialization] : increases chance to critically hit with Guns by 1%.

[Mace Specialization] : Increases expertise with maces and two-handed maces by 3.

[Frost Resistance] : Frost Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

[Explorer] : 15 point skill bonus to Archaeology and allows faster surveying of sites.

Alliance - Draenei

The Draenei (often termed Spacegoats or Tentacleface for their appearance) were once the second best choice (if not the best) for a hunter race, all due to their 1% hit rating provided not only to themselves but anyone else in their group. This was because Hit Rating is a hunters second best friend (behind Agility), and was once not as easy to obtain as it is now. But with the introduction of Worgens and Reforging (explained in a later chapter), the Draenei have lost a little of their shine. The only other racial ability of note is a heal over time spell (HoT) called Gift of the Naaru, which can be useful in both PvP and PvE.

[Gift of the Naaru] : Heals the target for 20% of their total health over 15 sec. 3 minute cooldown.

[Heroic Presence] : Increases chance to hit with all spells and attacks by 1%. No longer affects nearby allies as of Cataclysm.

[Gemcutting] : 5 point skill bonus to Jewelcrafting (note, this also raises the cap by 5 at each level of jewelcrafting).

[Shadow Resistance] : Shadow Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

Tip: If you decide to roll a Draenei hunter, you may want to consider rolling a female as they are much more pleasant to the eye. Although that tail......

Alliance - Human

The unimpressive and quite average humans have no DPS increasing racials in terms of hunters. The only desirable racials are "Every Man for himself", a Crowd Control Breaker useful mostly in PvP and the odd Raid situation, and Diplomacy (how ironic), the ability to gain Reputation faster than other races, which comes in handy for leveling and questing.

[Every Man for Himself] : Removes all movement impairing effects and all effects which cause loss of control of your character. This effect shares a cooldown with other similar effects, 2 minute cooldown.

[Diplomacy] : Reputation gains increased by 10%.

[The Human Spirit] : Increase spirit by 3%.

[Mace Specialization] : Increases expertise with maces and two-handed maces by 3.

[Sword Specialization] : Increases expertise with swords and two-handed swords by 3.

Alliance - Night Elves

Like humans, the Night elves of Teldrassil have no DPS increasing racials, as much as fantasy history would have suggested otherwise. Their only racial of use for hunters is the ability to Shadowmeld, which is enter a state of stealth where the hunter will lose all aggro from the target he's killing. This has some use in Raids and whilst questing to avoid certain death.

[Shadowmeld] : Activate to slip into the shadows, reducing the chance for enemies to detect your presence. Lasts until cancelled or upon moving. Any threat is restored versus enemies still in combat upon cancellation of this effect, 2 minute cooldown.

[Quickness] : Reduces the chance that melee and ranged attackers will hit you by 2%.

[Wisp Spirit] : Transform into a wisp upon death, increasing speed by 75%. (As opposed to 50% increase of other races)

[Elusivesness] : Reduces the chance enemies have to detect you while Shadowmelded or Stealthed and increases your speed while stealthed by 5%. Faster stealthed speed added in Cataclysm. (Rogue and Druid only)

[Nature Resistance] : Reduces the chance you will be hit by Nature spells by 2%. Changed to Nature Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

Fun Fact: Dwarven and Night elf hunters hate each other. This hatred is caused by Dwarven jealousy of Night Elf grace and height. Dwarves have been very vocal about their dislike of Night elves, suggesting they should join the Horde and claiming overall Dwarven superiority in all aspects of huntering. Night Elves have responded by turning Worgen and actually becoming better than Dwarves but also causing a near extinction of Night Elf hunters. The Draenei have claimed Neutrality in this squabble. And human hunters? Well you have to find one first.

Horde - Orc

Orcs are the king of all hunters (how that happened I don't know). They have two racial abilities to entice you to play an Orc hunter. Firstly is Blood Fury, an enrage that temporarily increases your damage output. Second is the racial that increases pet damage output, in other words, an Orc pet will do more damage than other pets. These two racials make orcs the highest DPS hunters in the game. Lucky buggers!

[Blood Fury] : Activate to increase attack power and spell damage by an amount based on level/class for 15 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.

[Hardiness] : Reduces duration of stun effects by 15%.

[Command] : Damage done by Death Knight, Hunter, Shaman and Warlock pets increased by 5%.

[Axe Specialization] : Expertise with Fist Weapons, One- and Two-handed Axes increased by 5.

Horde - Troll

Trolls also have two DPS increasing racials. Their first is a 1% critical strike rating increase when using a Bow. This is slightly better than the Dwarf bonus to guns, but only because there are currently more endgame Bows than guns in current content. Their second racial is Berserk, which provides a temporary increase to attack and cast speed. These two talents make trolls still considered the second best hunters in terms of DPS output behind Orcs.

[Berserking] : Activate to increase attack and casting speed by 20% for 10 seconds. 3 minute cooldown.

[Regeneration] : Increase health regeneration bonus by 10%. Also allows 10% of normal health regen during combat.

[Beast Slaying] : 5% damage bonus when fighting against Beasts.

[Throwing Specialization] : Increases chance to critically hit with Throwing Weapon by 1%.

[Bow Specialization] : Increase Bow critical strike chance by 1%.

[Da Voodoo Shuffle] : Reduces the duration of all movement impairing effects by 15%.

Horde - Goblin

Like Trolls and Orcs, Goblins have 2 racials that increase DPS. The first and most important is a permanent 1% increase to haste. The second is the ability to, on occasion, fire a rocket. The DPS increase from this ability is minimal but a DPS increase nonetheless. Goblins also have a Rocketjump ability, which can have some usefullness in certain Raid, questing and PvP situations.

[Rocket Jump] : Activates your rocket belt to jump forward. 2 minute cooldown, shared with Rocket Barrage.

[Rocket Barrage] : Launches your belt rockets at an enemy, dealing X-Y fire damage. (24-30 at level 1; 1654-2020 at level 80). 2 min. cooldown.

[Time is Money] : Cash in on a 1% increase to attack and casting speed.

[Best Deals Anywhere] : Always receive the best discount regardless of faction standing.

[Pack Hobgoblin] : Calls in your personal servant, allowing you bank access for 1 min. 30 minute cooldown.

[Better Living through Chemistry] : Alchemy skill increased by 15 (and you gain bonuses for healing/mana potions you made; 25% more mana/hp from potions).

Horde - Blood Elf

The first of the not-so-good Horde hunters. Besides claiming to be really, really, ridiculously good looking, Blood elves have the ability to instantly restore some of their resources (mana, energy, focus, etc). This provides a minor increase to DPS. The same talent also provides a Silence, which has some uses on Raid trash and in PvP.

[Arcane Torrent] : Activate to silence all enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. In addition, you gain 15 Energy, 15 Runic Power or 6% Mana. 2 min. cooldown.

[Arcane Affinity] : 10 point skill bonus to Enchanting (note, this also raises the cap by 10 at each level of enchanting).

[Magic Resistance] : Arcane Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

Horde - Tauren

Tauren have a minor AoE stun ability in War stomp, plus a minor health increase. From a hunter's point of view, that is it. I mean seriously, what did you expect? They are 2-legged cows.

[War Stomp] : Activate to stun opponents - Stuns up to 5 enemies within 8 yards for 2 seconds. 2 minute cooldown.

[Endurance] : Base health increased by 5%.

[Cultivation] : Adds a 15 point skill bonus to Herbalism as well as increases the speed you can gather herbs. (Note, this also raises the cap by 15 at each level of herbalism). Faster gathering speed added in Cataclysm.

[Nature Resistance] : Nature Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

Horde - Undead

The newest member of the Horde hunter family unfortunately has no DPS increasing talents. Their only racial of note is the ability to cleanse themselves of certain debuffs and Crowd controls, but not all.

[Will of the Forsaken] : Removes any Charm, Fear and Sleep effect. 2 minute cooldown.

[Cannibalize] : When activated, regenerates 7% of total health and mana every 2 seconds for 10 seconds. Only works on Humanoid or Undead corpses within 5 yards. Any movement, action, or damage taken while Cannibalizing will cancel the effect. (Mana aspect added in Cataclysm.)

[Underwater Breathing] : Underwater breath lasts 233% longer than normal.

[Shadow Resistance] : Shadow Resistance (1 point per level) since Cataclysm.

Fun Fact: Blizzard decided to give Horde races better racials to entice players to play Horde due to numerous other racial defficiencies. Blizzard realised that no one would want to play a race of hideous creatures suffering from slight retardation (Orc), a race of smelly, decomposing matter, with various Body parts missing (Undead), a bunch of sexually disoriented self-proclaimed pretty boys (blood elves), a magically transformed group of formerly domesticated farm animals (Taurens) and a shamanistic race of skinny hunchbacks with teething problems and a severe speech impediment (Trolls). Goblins are the only respected Horde race, their allegiance to the Horde often questioned. It is believed they only joined the Horde to avoid a beating from the Orcs.

A new baby hunter

Once we have decided on a faction, a race, a look and a name we can now create our baby hunter. The area in the world that you start your adventures in will depend on the race you chose. The starting areas are designed to guide you through the world with ease and familiarise yourself with the game mechanics, the world and your chosen class. When leveling, I would suggest to read every new ability you or your pet learn and try it out to see its effects in the game world. This, I believe is the only way to truly familiarise yourself with all that is available to you.

From level 1-10 you will learn about the basics of World of Warcraft and your class. Then things become slightly more interesting and complex with the introduction of Talents and talent trees at level 10, which we will discuss in the next chapter.

ProTip: Gnomes are perfect target practice for hunters...

Beginner Guide to Hunters - Introduction

2011-06-10T13:18:00.000+12:00

Introduction

About this guide

Hunters are arguably the most represented and loved class in not just World of Warcraft, but also the blog-o-sphere. So I have decided to write this guide to give a complete overview of the class, with hints and tips useful for newbies and experts alike.

This guide has been written with all kinds of players in mind. We will start at the beginning of a hunter's lifecycle and finish at the end. If you are looking for boss strategy or questing guides this is not the guide for you. In this guide we will talk about creating a new hunter, hunter attributes,the different talent trees, pets, leveling and raiding builds and so much more. We will look in-depth at the different statistics and their effects on hunters.

This guide will also contain humorous snippets and opinions. Please consider that these are for amusement, and that 95% of the opinions contained within are mine, and not necessarily of other bloggers. So without further adieu, lets dive right in and start at the beginning.

What is a hunter

Before we can dive in and create our hunter we need to find out what a hunter is. The hunter class is what I would call a damage/support class. It is an extremely efficient ranged damage dealer, able to pump out competitive DPS (damage per second). But what is often overlooked is a hunters' incredible versatility, being also a very efficient Crowd Controller (by use of traps and other abilities) and one of only 2 classes proficient at Threat Direction. Recent changes to the hunter class, have now also turned the hunter into a secondary buff/debuff class (buffing means improving friendly targets attributes, debuffing means decreasing enemy attributes).

For all its strengths the hunter class has one glaring weakness - it is extremely weak when in melee range, both from a PvP (Player vs Player) or PvE (Player vs Environment) point of view. Hunters have a "Minimum Range" requirement which means when in melee range (less then 5 yards away from target) our ranged weapons won't work. But don't despair. The hunter has abilities to gain distance quickly and to to slow targets enough to be able to escape.

ProTip: What to do when stun-locked by a rogue? Die gracefully.....

As mentioned before, the hunter is a ranged class. This means we primarily use ranged weapons to deal our damage, in particular Bows, guns and crossbows. No pistols yet but we are hopeful. A hunter can equip melee weapons, both one-handed and 2-handed (except maces) but these are merely for show or, to use a WoW term, "stat-sticks" which is to say the only benefit a hunter gets is the stats of the weapon.

FunFact: Guns don't kill people. Hunters kill people. Although a gun certainly helps.....

And lastly the hunter is a pet class. That is to say hunters, just like warlocks and certain mage and death knight specs, can summon an ally to help their cause. What sets hunters apart from the other pet classes is that hunter pets are more personal. Hunters have to actually go out into the wild and tame their wild beasts. They can name them, feed them (until recently mandatory to improve pet happiness), make them do tricks (only certain pets), make them fight for you or abandon them if you don't like them anymore. A hunter's pet is almost as much a part of the hunter as the hunter itself. Without it a hunter will do considerably less damage, lose the pet specific buffs and just in general be worse off. I will talk more about hunter pets in another chapter.

FunFact: They say a hunter and his pet share a special bond. How special is at the private discretion of the hunter....

Join me again for Chapter 1 of the Beginner Guide to Hunters.

Bye Bye Khaz'goroth, Hello Icecrown

2011-06-04T22:27:00.000+12:00

It is done. Serebihm has transferred to Icecrown. This comes on the back of one of my previous posts about looking for a new guild. Well, I've had some feedback and decided to make the move, regardless of what happens. I can only raid at US times so it makes sense to move to a US server. Now comes the hard part: Deciding on the guild I've had interest from Horde guilds to but, Faction changing 5 toons (well at least 3 to support Serebihm) can be costly when combined with Server transfer fees. At this point there's no reason to rush. I am still 2 weeks away from starting my new job, plus a visit from my mother for a week so I have 2 options. Find a guild now and have 2 weeks to get to know them before taking a week break, or wait 3-4 weeks and then get stuck in. So at least I've narrowed it down to a server. Any Icecrown guilds interest in getting a dedicated raider, Horde or Alliance, drop me a line at thehuntersarsenal@gmail.com.

Keep on hunting, and maybe seeing you soon,

Serebihm

The kind of hunters I hate

2011-06-03T08:59:00.001+12:00

I am angry right now. Really angry I probably shouldn't be writing in this state, but to hell with it, I need to vent. I've just come out of a Zul'Aman pug. It was a run in progress as per usual, the pull right before the bear boss. So the rogue sets out sap one target, and good hunter that I am proceed to trap a second mob, leaving us the two trolls on the bear to kill. Then as the mobs charge toward us, realisation sets in: the tank is afk at the entrance. I feign death the druid healer shadowmelds, the rogue vanishes and the shadowpriest takes a death. I apologise to all saying I should have made sure to check that tank was there. We run back and I jokingly say that maybe I should pet tank this pull. The rogue laughs and the druid tells me that since I am Survival he would refuse to heal my pet. I tell him that there is a thing called offspec. He tells me that Survival hunters suck (plus expletives). Now remember that this is prior to any damage having been dealt. This guy has no idea how I play or what my dps is.

Now I unfortunately can't keep my trap shut and say" oh no someone who doesn't know nuttin about hunters". He proceeds to laugh and inform me that his main is a *%@&ing hunter. I tell him that in that case he should know better. I get a lesson in MM is better than SV. My reply is that its situationally better, plus its getting nerfed. Then I get told I don't know anything about hunter specs and that I suck. He leaves. Tank is still not back so everyone else leaves as well. Except I'm still fuming.

If there's something I really hate, then it is elitist people commenting on other players play-styles in a degrading and insulting manner. This guy knew nothing about me. He didn't know that I'm 1 of 3 hunters in my guild, one who is MM, one who is BM and me who is Survival. Survival is marginally less DPS than MM on single targets and, quite frankly I prefer Survival in dungeons where AoE and good crowd control is required. Hunters right now are in a place where any hunter can choose ANY spec he wants and be competitive. No one and I mean NO ONE should be getting any kind of criticism or abuse because of the spec he plays, especially if the reason for him playing that spec are unknown. I know, my snippets probably didn't help the situation but still, that abuse was unnecessary and unwarranted.

Unfortunately, I have noticed that ZA and ZG brings out the worst in WoW players. These 2 heroics are not a walk in the park. More often than not have I seen people fail on the strat or pull unnecessary adds because of a lack of focus, but I dare not abuse anyone for it. If I see someone struggle, I will try and help if I can.

I feel a little better now. Please, people before you abuse anyone for whatever reason, don't be the ass. Everybody makes mistakes and sometimes more than once. Not everybody can be as good as you or whoever. Remember this is a game, I play it because it gives me enjoyment. I help people because seeing them improve gives me enjoyment. And I will not have elitist "oh look at me I'm so awesome and you all suck" players ruin it for me. Remember that you are part of the hunter community and we have a reputation to uphold.

Anyways, keep cool, keep hunting,

Serebihm

Possibly Looking for Guild and the state of things

2011-05-30T09:54:00.001+12:00

Ok. I've been back in WoW for three days now. 8 "The Hunting Party" podcasts and having read hundreds of blog posts later (at least it feels that many), I think I'm up to date again. I see my hunter hasn't changed much. It seems I timed my 2 month holiday perfectly. Patch 4.2 is still a little ways away, so I have a bit of time to try and gear up a bit in preparation for the Firelands.

One of the first things I needed to address was getting a new guild. I have, during my time off, accepted a new job, which means I will be working night times, and because my days off will not fall on regular raid days, I needed to find a guild that raids at American times. This is easier said than done since Khaz'goroth alliance seems to only have 2 American guilds left, both being the remains of my former guild GOAT. On top of that one side has recently fallen apart whilst the other is a strictly 10-man raiding guild with limited spots available. I did join the second guild, called Requiem, hopeful that their recent struggles in even getting 10 people online translates into some raid time. But I think I may have to keep my options open. One thing I've had to consider which I never thought I'd have to (GOAT seemed so secure), is transferring server. But then comes the question which server? I don't keep track on server progressions, and if I was going to server transfer, I would of course like to transfer to a server with more progression.

So I'm going to put myself out on the market. I am looking for a new guild, preferably one that can down all normal content and that raids at American times (somewhere between 7.30pm and 3am Eastern time).If you know of any guilds or are recruiting yourself send me an email to thehuntersarsenal@gmail.com. I probably won't make my decision on what I'll do until either just before patch 4.2 launches or the day of the launch unless the offer to join a particular guild is too good to pass up.

So people might want to know what kind of raider I am. Well, I raid as much as I can. I always strive to be on time and am always prepared (even now I still bring back-up flasks and food). I do my own boss fight research and being a hunter blogger I obviously do my own class research. In a raid environment I do what I'm told and is expected of me. If there is something I'm not sure off (rarely happens) I will speak up and ask for clarification. I am not a loot whore, I will get a piece when I get it and also have been known to pass on a piece so someone more needy can get it. In short I do whatever it takes to progress not just myself but the guild. And since I've only just come back from break, well I seem to only take a break every 1.5 years since (my last 2 month break was Dec 09 - Feb 10, and the one prior to that was some 6 months prior to Wrath's release).

On to the next topic. I've had a chance to do both Zul'Gurub and Zul' Aman, and I don't care what people say but I love it. These were two of my favorite instances for a long time and considering that most boss fights feel the same, oh it is so nostalgic. I love the fact that Zul' Aman trash still seems harder than the bosses. I really have no issue with Blizzard bringing back old content updated. If not it would just be sitting there. As long as they find the right balance between new and old I say keep doing it. Now just bring back Karazhan and the AQs.

I have also re-entered many of my gold making markets, as well as explored new ones and am so far happy with the results. Now if only I could stop spending it to reach my targets. Jewelcrafting is still a license to print money, Engineering is actually profitable, Enchanting has finally settled on my server and hugely profitable, and even though changes have been introduced in my absence, the ore shuffle is still very alive and kicking. Here's hoping things stay as positive as they are now.

I am also still hunting certain rare pets. My list is now down to King Krush, Aotona, Sambas, Ghostcrawler, Arcturis and Madexx. Everything else that used to be on my list has been tamed. I'm still not sure if I should give Archaeology some time. Certainly my hunter won't benefit much from any drops but my Alts could certainly gain something.

On the blogging front, I am currently working on some guides one big one in particular where I have to decide if it should be released in chapters or once the whole thing is complete. I am leaning towards chapter by chapter, as that will provide regular content for the blog, as this guide could take weeks or even months to finish (in between work and play time).

Anyway, that's what's new in my WoW life. Again email me if you have a guild or are recruiting and in need of a dedicated hunter. I'm not perfect but I'm trying to be :)

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

I'm Back!!!!!

2011-05-25T16:49:00.000+12:00

Hello loyal Readers. Glad you're still with me awaiting my return.Well, alas the day has come, my subscription has been renewed and my adventures shall continue. Rift turned out to be not as exciting as some may have hoped, or maybe I just couldn't leave Serebihm alone for too long. Either way I'm back...for now. The 2 and a half month break has done me a world of good. So, spread the word, Serebihm's is back in town looking to shake things up again, in the blog-o-sphere. Which reminds me...I have a lot of blog reading and podcast listening to do to catch up...until next time!

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Rifting and WoWing

2011-03-20T11:48:00.000+13:00

A few days ago:

Yes, I did buy Rift, and yes I like it....it's actually grown on me quite a bit. But I'm not going to get ahead of myself....I am still only questing after all. I never planned to take a look at Rift and was only made aware of it by a close friend of mine, literally a few days prior to release. Then one day on vent with current and former guildmates and good friends, the decision was made to give Rift a go. All of us had gotten a little disillusioned with World of Warcraft and saw this as an opportunity to try something new. Will I quit WoW? Not right now, but I will not count out the possibility.
WoW has become very monotonous for me with the release of Cataclysm. Leveling to 85 was too short for my liking. In Wotlk It took a week to get to 80, in Cata I was at 85 in a day and a half. It also didn't take very long to get all Cata reputations maxed. So that left little else left to do besides raiding and the AH game. As mentioned in previous posts, I had taken to finding rare pets, but that also got pretty boring after 2 weeks of flying the same routes over and over again. So at the moment my WoW time is dedicated to 1-2 hours of Auction House, JC daily and raiding. The rest I spend on Rift leveling, the Rift equivalent of a hunter...a Ranger/Marksman. I am currently at level 27, so just over halfway to max level 50.

Rift has taken the basic WoW principles and tried to improve upon them. Your Talent tree, known as Soul tree is the same as the old WoW talent trees were, allowing hybrids and all sorts of builds. There's an Auction house with an almost instant mail system - no wait times after auctions, yay! - mounts available at level 5, with faster mounts at 40 and 50 and you have 3 profession slots. I've chosen Butchery, which is skinning, to support my other profession Outfitter, which is a combination of Tailoring and Leatherworking, and finally Mining as my 3rd, which is just there as a income source as I am levelling. I've also done a couple of instances, their lengths were perfect (about 45mins to an hour), with plenty of dungeon quests to make you go back for a second run. The Rift story quest chains can truly be called epic, and the regular Zone-wide Invasion events are immense fun to participate in and highly rewarding.
So will I switch to Rift full-time?

Fast-forward to today:

It is official. I have switched to Rift full-time. My WoW subscription was cancelled last night. I just can't get enough of Rift right now, it is just that good. In the beginning my only complaint was that it didn't have a damage meter but now that I have downloaded the Rift combat Parser, I am all set to work out rotations and specs.

My toon curently sits at level 41. He is a Ranger/ Marksman/ Saboteur which is effectively a cross between a WoW rogue and hunter. I am a ranged class with a pet, but stack my attacks with combo points like a rogue. Make no mistake about it though, he may stack combo points and wear leather but this toon feels very much like a WoW hunter.

So far I've tried every aspect of Rift to some extend. I've obviously quested, I've done several dungeons (which have been nothing short of spectacular design in my opinion, perfect length perfect difficulty), I've raided (albeit just the Rift raid bosses), I've played the Auction house game with some success and I've PvPed (which is just like WoW).

In comparison to WoW there really isn't that much fault Rift for. They've taken WoW's winning formula and seeimingly improved on it in every facet. Most recently they've introduced there anti-hack system, called Coin Lock. If your account is accessed from a location other than your usual location, it will be coin-locked meaning mail system cannot be accessed, toons and gear cannot be deleted, AH cannot be interacted with, etc. Best of all though this feature is absolutely free. No need to buy an authenticator. No need to install external software on your mobile.

As you can tell I am obviously immensely impressed with Rift. I do realise, however, that this may just be the honeymonn period of playing something new, magnified with the sense of lacklustreness left behind by Cataclysm. I will not rule out returning to WoW. This isn't the first time I left WoW for another MMO. For now though Rift will be my MMO of choice. For those of you interested in continuing to follow my journey through Rift and information on the Rift hunter-equivalent, I have started a new blog at rifthunters.blogspot.com so feel free to check it out.

Thank you for reading this blog and making it worthwhile for me. Your support was very much appreciated. Enjoy your time in WoW and continue to fly the hunter flag. May it rain epics for you all.

Until next time, whenever and wherever that may be, keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Hunters and Professions

2011-03-13T11:58:00.000+13:00

Professions are the backbone of World of Warcraft's economy, but they serve more than just the ability to make gold. Professions can provide players with bonuses to improve their damage, survivability or general playstyles. I had a lengthy post written up going into detail what each profession provides before I realised most DPS bonuses from crafting professions are almost the same - 80 Agility. Every crafting profession except Alchemy has a clear-cut 80 Agility bonus only usable by the crafter (well, Jewelcrafting's bonus is actually 81). So if all the bonus are essentially the same are there any professions that may be more useful to a hunter than others in terms of DPS? Well, right now there might be....If a hunter is looking to use professions to help maximize DPS, they would do well to stay clear of gathering professions. Although Skinning provides a DPS bonus in the form of Critical Strike Rating, it doesn't compete with the Agility boosts of crafting professions. As mentioned before Alchemy doesn't provide the 80 Agility bonus but does provide an Alchemist- only Agility trinket. It is only as good as normal raid trinkets, however, so Alchemy is also not the way to go.

Enchanting gets its 80 Agility buff in the form of the Ring Enchant (40 Agility per ring), Blacksmithing through 2 extra-sockets craftable by the blacksmith and Inscription by way of an Inscription-only Shoulder enchant.Other than that they have nothing else to offer that may make them more appealing than other professions, but they are solid choices nonetheless. And Jewelcrafting's extra 1 Agility means in the long run it provides the most DPS and therefore should always be taken (not to mention one hell of a moneymaker, I love me a good shuffle).

The remaining 2 professions, Engineering and Leatherworking, are not quite as clear-cut at this point. Right now these 2 professions would be fantastic choices as second professions, as they provide something, that due to the current state of this expansion, is very enticing indeed.

Leatherworking used to be the best profession for a DPS increase prior to 4.0.6. This was due to its wrist enchant providing 130 Agility. Blizzard realised that this was waaaaaay more than any other profession provided and so decided to introduce new regular enchants providing 50 Agility, thereby cutting the net gain down to a standard 80 Agility. Problem is, this new enchant requires Maelstrom Crystals, and right now on my server they are still going for 2k+ each. The enchant formula itself is costing upwards of 10k on the AH, and those that bought a recipe are charging exuberant fees to those looking. And so its fair to say that a great number of hunters are probably still without their Agility wrist enchant, making those hunters that have LW as their profession breathing a sigh of relief.

Engineering used to belong to the no bonus category that Alchemy currently holds, but in patch 4.0.6 Blizzard decided to change the tinker Synapse Springs to provide 480 Agility for 10 secs, with a 1 minute cooldown, which in turn again translates to a overall 80 Agility gain. But Engineers weren't just able to get Engineer-only tinkers, they could also make engineer only epic helms. And these babies are able to be socketed with the exact secondary stats you are looking for on a piece of loot (i.e. Crit, hit, mastery, haste). This is a huge bonus this early in an expansion for hunters who are not necessarily hardcore raiders and are competing with other hunters and shamans for epic helms (well and Warriors if its a tier helm). And in this expansion Agility Mail helms drop quite late, with the epic helm dropping of Ascendant council, 2nd to last boss in Bastion of Twilight, and the tier helm dropping of Nefarian, the final boss in Blackwing Descent. So having access to an epic helm this early is a decent boost to your DPS for quite some time.

In the long run All professions will even out to provide 80 Agility. Jewelcrafting will provide 1 extra, Alchemy will fade in the distance. Leatherworking and Engineering may have shot out to an early lead in the DPS stakes, but the others will slowly reign them in. Expect leatherworking to be pulled in with the very next patch, 4.1, which will introduce 2 new epics-dropping 5 mans, which are certain to bring the price of Maelstrom crystals down, making the 50 Agility wrist-enchant affordable. Engineering will follow soon after as more and more guilds will make their way to Nefarian and Ascendant Council.

Well that's me for another night, keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Patch 4.1 first info plus hotfix and earthquake updates

2011-02-28T12:14:00.000+13:00

I'm sure many of you have already read up on the coming patch 4.1 which has been deployed on the PTR. For those that haven't here's a round-up of what is getting everyone excited:

1. Zul'Gurub and Zul'Aman are making a return as 5-man heroic instances. Bosses will drop ilvl351 epics, so just lower than what current raids drop. These instances were very popular due to their mounts (Razzashi Raptor and Zulian Tiger for Zul'Gurub and Amani War Bear for Zul'Aman) and these mounts will make a return, although in different skins.

2. There has been talk of a new hunter pet family possibly introduced with this new patch - The hydra. Data has been found that points to a new spell, Bellowing roar, with its tooltip reading "The hydra let's out a bellowing roar, inreasing the critical strike chance of all party rand raid members by 5%". Fingers crossed for that.

3. Data has also been unearthed of signs of the first epic gems. This could be a false alarm though, as in Wrath signs of the first epic gems were also seen in the first major content patch but not actually made available until the second or third patch.

So some interesting things to keep an eye on for the next patch.

In other news, Aimed Shot and Aspect of the Hawk have had their changes applied, and all Ican say is holy sh... I've tested out out the difference on SV and you DEFINITELY want to take 3 points in One With Nature instead of Careful Aim. BM is about 1k dps behind SV for me, but then remember I haven't played BM since the Naxx days so I am a little rusty. I'm not sure about MM my two current specs are SV and BM and I have no real interest in picking up MM, when SV is almost just as good on single target fights and signifcantly better on AoE fights.

On a personal note, for those who have read my post on the Christchurch Earthquake or are following the event on the news, we have heard from our last friend. She is ok, but the lack of power to her home, meant she was unable to be contacted. A scary thought though, she was working at the time of the earthquake, only a few 100m away from the CTV building that collapsed. Again I'm happy my friends are all accounted for, but my heart goes out to those missing loved ones or hurt by the quake. As an update the current death toll stands at 147 (expected to rise further) with 50+ still missing.

That's it for tonight from me. Much more huntering to do. So keep on hunting!

Serebihm

In Search of Rare Beasts and Competitions

2011-02-25T00:39:00.000+13:00

Last week I told you about my misfortunes with Spirit Beasts. Well, it turns out that Blizzard or the RNG read my blog. A couple of days ago I was doing my rounds in Northrend and lo and behold who should appear, Skoll. I was ecstatic. Finally, a Spirit Beast! I quickly tamed him, fed him and renamed him to Sparkfang. I then set off again. I was tempted to just leave it at that, but decided to finish my route.

I am glad I did. Because halfway through my sweep of Zul'Drak I cam across Gondria. Two Spirit Beasts in 10 minutes, what are the odds? Pretty slim for me considering these were the first two spirit beasts I had ever seen in the wild - alive or dead. But it didn't end there as only moments later I cam across another rare pet on my list - the spider Terror Spinner. I renamed him Boris after The Who's hit song, Boris the Spider. The remainder of the Northrend route was uneventful.

But after this success, I felt in the mood to look for more. So I went to Petopia and had a look at all the rare and unique pets available. I was amazed and intrigued at the number of rare unique pets available, especially in the old world. I also figured, considering the location of some of these pets were pretty well removed from major questing areas within the zones, the chances of me finding some of these pets were pretty high. And I was right.

After two routes through the old world I would say, my stable has doubled in size. And there are some truly beautiful rare pets around. Below is a list of all the unique rare pets that I've picked up so far:

Deathmaw (Wolf, Burning Steppes) - renamed Howler

Ashtail (purply-greyish fox, Loch Modan) - named Ashtail

Duskstalker (snow-white, dotted sabrecat model, Teldrassil) - renamed Snowy

The Razza (White Chimaera, Feralas) -renamed Dreadwing

Silithid Harvester (green and red beetle, Southern Stranglethorn) - renamed Buggsy

Skoll (Wolf Spiritbeast, Stormpeaks) renamed Sparkfang

Gondria (Sabrecat Spirit beast, Zul'Drak) named Gondria

Terror Spinner (Spider, Zul'Drak) renamed Boris

For Ashtail and Gondria I just drew a blank when it came to naming them. If you got some ideas for them, please let me know. I am also considering running a little competition for the naming of future pets, I just have to figure out the prize and how to get it to people, especially if they are on a different server. I will look into it and keep you posted. Any ideas are appreciated.

This little past time has really stirred some interest in me. My list of pets I'm looking for has grown significantly. They now include pets like Olm the Wise, a spectral owl in Felwood.The two wasps in Silithus, Zora and Rex'Ashil. Either of the two white gorillas, one found in Northern Stranglethorn, the other in Un'goro Crater, their names though escape me. And I'll probably also organise a small group for Chromaggus.

I will keep you updated on my future progress of taming rare pets, and also any developments regarding a competition. Again any ideas and explanations on how to get prizes to players on different servers would be appreciated.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

The Christchurch Earthquake

2011-02-24T04:01:00.002+13:00

One of many buildings that collapsed in Christchurch's city centre.

Apart from a few minor references this post is in no way about anything WoW related. Yesterday, at 12.51pm Christchurch was hit by an Earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale. On the face of it, it looks like just another minor aftershock from the 7.1 Earthquake, the region suffered in September of last year in which there were no fatalities. In truth, this one was more than just an aftershock. It was a killer. It was shallow, at an estimated depth of only 5km (compared to 33km of the September earthquake), and it was closer, its epicentre right underneath the town of Lyttelton, only 10km from Christchurch. So far 75 casualties have been reported, that number is expected to rise, as an estimated 300 people are still missing, either trapped inside buildings or underneath rubble. It has been suggested that this could be New Zealand's darkest hour yet.

The CTV building collapsed, with as many as 50 people trapped inside. Experts say there is no chance of survivability for those trapped.

I immediately attempted to contact friends in the area and am happy to report that they are fine, with only some minor damage to their homes. A much bigger concern is for the friend of my wife, who lives in Christchurch and works in Cathedral Square, the worst affected area of the quake. So far we have not heard back and we will continue to hope and pray for her and all others still missing or trapped. Crazy thoughts run to your head in times like these, but there could be numerous reasons why we are unable to reach her. All we can hope is that they do not involve serious harm.

Christchurch Cathedral, with its spire collapsed

I, personally, am surprised at how emotional I am actually feeling about this tragedy. It was only in May of last year, I was in Christchurch's beautiful Cathedral Square. My wife and I took some lovely photos of ourselves in front of the famous cathedral. Seeing it on TV today, destroyed (its spire collapsed while tourists were still inside), broke my heart. It was one of New Zealand's most cherished landmarks, the heart of Christchurch itself. I'm sure many of you have seen some images of the devastation, which have been shown on News channels all across the world. It looked like a warzone. I truly cannot describe the sadness I felt watching the images of a lifeless body pulled from the rubble. At the time you think "Is this a friend of mine? Do I know this person?" and then you realise, it doesn't matter. What matters is somebody knew this person, this was someone's friend, someone's son or perhaps someones father.

More heavily damaged buildings.

As Christchurch lays in tatters and continues to be flooded due to broken pipes and liquifaction, it is with a heavy heart I write this post, but I felt it important to share this news. It is times like these that remind us of what is truly important, not PC games, not some raid night, or some good deal on the Auction house, but the well-being of those affected. These people witnessed a Shattering first hand. Here in little old Queenstown, I have had my fair share of earthquake scares over the past few years, but I don't think anything could prepare me for an earthquake as devastating as the one that rocked Christchurch yesterday.

The Pine Gould Corp building, utterly destroyed. Several survivors have been pulled out already and hopes are high for more.

My condolences and prayers go out to all who are in someway affected by this tragedy. May those who are missing and trapped be found and rescued. May those who are injured be cared for and heal in a timely manner. And may Christchurch be rebuilt and its communities be stronger than ever. All of New Zealand feels for you, the rest of the world feels for you, and together we must and will pull through.


Hundreds of cars and two buses were crushed by falling debris. The buses had people on board.

I think its fair to say, on behalf of the WoW and Hunter communities, and the blog-o-sphere in New Zealand and around the world, all our thoughts are with you Christchurch.

Serebihm

I Need Comments!!

2011-02-21T14:48:00.000+13:00

My blog has been up and fully running for the better part of 6 months now. I get a regular number of hits a day (usually around the 200 mark not counting myself), which I am happy with. But what I don't get a lot of, is comments on my post, so I never know if what I've written is interesting, if people agree or disagree, or any kind of feedback.For a total of 54 posts I only have received 70 comments, of which some have been posted by myself in response to other comments.. So I've been wondering why there has been such a lack of comments.
My guess is, that people do not know how to comment as an Anonymous user. Not everyone has a google account which is fine, so a few months ago I have enabled the option to allow anonymous comments.
To post a comment as an anonymous user or as a non-blogger user, use the comment box to type what you want to say, then, in the drop-down box below it either select "anonymous" (if you want to stay anonymous) or "Name/URL" to provide a name. And that's it guys. But be warned! Derogatory comments will be removed, so please be constructive.

So please readers, I get 200 hits a day on average, let me know what you think of my posts, so i can get some quality feedback. Comments will be my only indication if I'm on the right path to providing interesting reading material, and that is after all what I'm trying to do here.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

The Myth of Spirit beasts

2011-02-21T14:33:00.000+13:00

Having leveled 3 characters to 85, 2 of which are raid-ready, one of which has done every quest from high-end cataclysm zones, I am a little bored of the daily grind. So now my time is mostly spent on the Auction house, raiding and playing other games. But I also took the time to try and fill my pet stable on my hunter. And as all hunters I am not just happy with getting regular skinned pets, no, I want to get unique and rare pets. Easier said then done.

One type of pet in particular still missing from my stable is a Spirit Beast. Now, this may seem hard to believe, but in all my time in both Wrath and Cataclysm, I've yet to see a Spirit Beast in the wild, alive or dead. Yes, I've never seen an untamed Spirit Beast, and I've had numerous attempts at trying to find one.

But I will not quit. The good thing is, I can combine the task of looking for Spirit Beasts with tasks like looking for other rare pets or Archaeology. Of course I am using addons NPC_Scan (gives you a warning when near a rare mob) and NPC_Overlay (which puts colored indicators on your map and minimap of rare mob paths).

On my first fly through of all known Spirit Beast zones in Wrath (Sholazar basin, Stormpeaks, Zuldrak and Grizzly Hills) I didn't come across any Spirit Beasts or rare mob for that matter.

I wonder if there are any tips or tricks to finding these mobs, that do not not involve spending hours trying to camp the spawn points. Is there a certain time that is best for trying to find them? How did you, my readers, come in posession of any of these fabled rare pets?

Here is the list of rare pets I'm currently looking for:

Loque'anak (Spirit beast, Sholazar Basin)

Skoll (Spirit beast, Stormpeaks)

Arcturis (Spirit beast, Grizzly Hills)

Gondria (Spirit beast, Zul'Drak)

Ghostcrawler (Spirit beast, Vashj'ir)

Karoma (Spirit beast, Twilight Highlands)

Madexx (Scorpion, Uldum)

Samba (Cat, Twilight Highlands)

Terrorpene (Turtle, Mount Hyjal)

Terror Spinner (Spider, Zul'Drak)

King Krush (Devilsaur, Sholazar basin)

Aotona (Bird of Prey, Sholazar basin)

And so my search will continue. I hope I find some of these pets soon before I also get bored of this task. At least raiding and the AH game are still keeping me interested.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Patch 4.0.6 impressions

2011-02-13T23:58:00.005+13:00

Patch 4.0.6 hit this week and the hunter community is abuzz discussing all the new changes to the hunter class. Survival was nerfed (or was it, at times it doesn't feel that way), and BM and MM received considerable buffs. Some profession changes have also had a major impact on hunter dps for all specs, and have forced me to a make a profession change.

But first things first. For a while the hunter community was speculating on how balanced the 3 specs would be with the introduction of 4.0.6. And all I can say is, from what I have seen so far in raid environments, they are as close as they've ever been since I have started playing. We have 3 hunters in my new guild, the first decided to try BM, the second remained as MM and I stayed Survival. for most of the raid night we would occupy 3rd, 4th and 5th on the meters, changing positions only amongst ourselves from fight to fight, but each hunter was able to showcase the strengths of their spec depending on the boss fight. BM excelled on movement heavy fights such as Valiona and Theralion but struggled on switch heavy fights such as Omnotron Defense system. MM showcased its single-target firepower on Maloriak and Pit Lord Argaloth and proved it could hold its own on switch-heavy and movement heavy fights. Survival showed its worth as an allrounder, being competitive on all kinds of fights. What was surprising however, was how close BM and MM had gotten to Survival in AoE damage. On Magmaw, where I was used to running away on the meters I was surprised to see both BM and MM hunters able to keep pace, which is good news for both specs.

In profession changes, hunters have a new Metagem and a new wrist enchant. The Agile Shadowspirit Diamond is the new metagem of choice and the pattern is a World drop BoE. The same goes for the Enchant Bracers: Mighty Agility pattern. This change in particular was a deciding factor in me dropping Leatherworking and picking up Engineering instead.

I had thought long and hard about making the change but in the end I felt I would gain more from engineering than from Leatherworking. Leatherworking used to provide a straight 130 Agility gain (over non LW hunters), but with the introduction of this new wrist enchant that gain has been cut to just 80. Engineering's newly changed Synapse Springs provides 480 Agility for 10 secs with a 1min cooldown, which I guess could be considered a flat average increase of 80 Agility. What pushed Engineering over the edge was access to an epic headpiece with tailored stats. In a normal raiding environment with DKP and EPGP, i consider it a waste to spend it on anything not best in slot. Plus moving into an already established raid guild meant I would be well behind the other 2 hunters (not to mention the Warriors and Shamans for the tier head) in DKP should either of the headpieces drop. With engineering I don't have to worry about this. I now have a headpiece with better stats than any blue helm in game and only a socket short of the two epic helms .

Overall I'm very happy with how hunters have turned out post 4.0.6. Hunters all around the world will now be able to raid and be competitive in any of the 3 specs. We've gained a new metagem and previous dps metagems have had their requirements fixed. We have a new wrist enchant which makes Leatherworking less clear-cut as best DPS improving profession. Blizzard may finally have understood the meaning of balance.

keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Real life forces guild change

2011-02-13T23:51:00.001+13:00

As you all may have noticed posting has been a little scarce of late, but there was a good reason for that. I have recently gained a promotion at my work, which in turn meant a different work roster and added responsibilities. This coupled with the crazy holiday season left time to post inbetween work commitments and raids to a minimum. But now that the work roster has finally settled down I should be able to post more, starting with this one.

These changes have also forced me to change guilds. I have had to leave GOAT, an American 10man raid guild (formerly 25man) with whom I spent the last 1.5 years, in search for a guild more suitable to my timeframe. I must mention though that a change of work hours was not the only cause of my leaving. My current work schedule would have allowed me to continue raiding almost all the scheduled raid days. But with the introduction of the new raidsystem with Cataclysm, a large chunk of GOAT's raid-members had decided to break off into their own 10man raiding guild named Requiem, leaving GOAT a shadow of its former self. I myself had been ebsent rom the game at the time of the split, meaning I had missed out on a spot on the new roster. It was unfortunate as 95% of the players I had enjoyed playing with had left. But these things happen and wish both guilds, Requiem and GOAT, all the best for the future.

So, a new guild was required, and I finally was able to look for an Australian guild, one more in tune with my NZ times. Thankfully, I was still in contact with several of my friends from my BC days, when I last raided at Aussie times. And so it was that I joined Incursion, and Australian 25man raiding guild, with similar progression to GOAT. I must say, so far I'm extremely happy with my switch. I have been welcomed with open arms and really enjoy playing with these guys. Excellent leadership, maturity and a real teamwork attitude have made raiding here extremely enjoyable again.

I will miss my old raid buddies from GOAT and those that have moved to Requiem, but for now I am extremely happy with my situation and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me, here with Incursion.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Post 4.0.6 Hunter Specs - Which to choose?

2011-01-28T04:55:00.000+13:00

It is already common knowledge that all 3 hunter specs are getting some major balancing done to them. So the question I have asked myself (and probably a lot of hunters have too) is, what spec will I be raiding with once 4.0.6 is live. In the past I've always gone with whatever spec is considered the highest DPS, but with Cataclysm that has changed. Now we need to select specs also on the basis of what it brings to the table other than its DPS numbers.

As much as Blizzard have tride to balance the specs to be even in DPS, it was evident early on during this expansion, that it was not the case. Survival has outdpsed the other specs, like Usain Bolt wins the 100m - it wasn't even close. So Blizzard has needed to make some changes. Survival was always going to get nerfed, how heavy will remain to be seen. Marksman and Beastmaster will get buffed as expected, and at last check numbers between all 3 specs could be very close.

So let's say that Blizzard succeed in balancing all 3 specs, the choice for which spec to select will not be as easy as pick what your favorite is. In Wrath it would have been easy, but not in Cataclysm. Why? Because all 3 specs have aspects to consider that we didn't have to in the past, either because they were the same across all specs or because certain spec mechanics have changed since Wrath.

In Wrath AoE was effectively the same for all 3 specs, now not so much. Survival has and probably will continue to have significantly better AoE dps then the other 2 specs. This is an important point to consider when certain Cataclysm raids require some pretty heavy AoE fire power. Magmaw and Maloriak spring to mind. Survival has talents that significantly improve AoE DPS, and lets not forget talents that improve controlling multiple mobs through use of traps - extremely useful on those fights again.

Now consider Beastmastery. On a straight forward fight a hunter's pet will usually do about 40-45% of the hunter's damage, that means almost half his damage. The Beastmaster's primary attack is Kill Command which requires the pet to be in melee range to deal damage. That's all good and well on a tank and spank, but on anything that requires a lot of target switching, say Omnotron Defense System, you're going to run into a bit of a problem. And on Magmaw, where you already are going to be pre-occupied with the lava parasites, you may not necessarily have the opportunity to take care of your pet, meaning it will most likely die.

Marksman doesn't have these pet issues, and also has a useful talent for multi-shot (albeit one that is hardly ever taken), but it will depend on how high (or low) its AoE DPS is, for it to be a universally successful spec. With its rebalanced DPS it may be fine for a average boss fight, but if it struggles to keep up with Survival's AoE numbers, chances are it will not be the spec of choice for raiders and may not even be taken as an offspec to allow for BM's exotic pets.

So what will people go with, which spec will they choose? Well, here's what I think will happen. Hardcore raiders will go with whatever the top spec is and have Survival as an offspec (provided its not the top spec). Your casual hunter types will just go with whatever spec they like as they have in the past. In the event that all regular DPS does happen to be balanced among all specs, I expect most raiding hunters sticking with Survival as main spec (because of its AoE capabilities) and Beastmaster as offspec, for extra pet options. At least, that' what I'll be doing.

Serebihm's 10 Tips on how not to be a Huntard

2011-01-09T03:55:00.000+13:00

We all make mistakes sometimes. It's natural. The WoW-playing community is very unforgiving, however. So I've compiled a list of things not to do, for your amusement and your education. Some of these things are things I've done myself, most are things I've observed on other hunters. And, no, I'm not telling you which of these I've done. A gentleman never tells.

1. Gemming for Intellect is not a good idea. It will only make your gear appear smarter than you are. Agility, Critical Strike, Mastery and Haste in some circumstances are the way forward.

2. Although it appears in your buff list, during combat, Aspect of the Pack is not a buff, it's actually more of a group wide de-buff, with all its dazing and slowing glory. So if your tank is screaming about getting dazed, check that it's turned off, and make sure to always have the correct Aspect (usually Hawk) before combat commences.

3. Leather pieces, as nice as they may look, are not good for you anymore. You see us hunters now get a bonus when wearing all mail. But this isn't a Hell's Angels meeting or a Rocky Horror rehearsal, so put your leather pieces back in the closet, or, alternatively, roll a shifty, hated, rogue and forever be outcast from the class of hunters.

4. Tenacity pets (turtles, gorillas, Rhinos, etc) are not ideal raid pets. Why? Because they have a tendency to growl and taunt off a tank, which generally makes him very unhappy, and, in most cases, kills your pet (well, the healers weren't expecting your pet to tank).You see, Tenacity pets need to have growl and taunt turned off if they aren't tanking, they need to be told. So, if you are not sure what to do with your little pet tank, just bring your cat (or other ferocity pet) in future.

5. Do not pull threat, and if you do, don't walk backwards until the mob smacks you over the head. It is not the tanks job to taunt back, it is your job to control your threat. I know you've just blown all your cooldowns and you're getting some sexy dps numbers on the meter, but trust me, you'll still do less than even the tank if you're dead. You have Misdirection and Feign Death for a reason. Use it!

6. Walking backwards with a mob beating you to a pulp is not kiting, it's just stupid. Kiting is dropping frost traps, running forward while jump-shotting your target with concussive shots, Distracting Shots, and don't forget Scatter Shot and Wyvern Sting if the mob is not immune. And if the mob does get a little close, it's nothing a jump-Disengage can't fix, just watch... the .....cliff edge....that you just... Disengaged off....oh well. Kiting means keeping your distance, whilst maintaining aggro-control, but also being aware of your surroundings. So if kiting isn't your forte, let the rest of the group know, there's no shame in that. Then, at the next opportunity read up and get some practice kiting. Best way to practice, you ask? Easy, dismiss your pet and go kill stuff.

7. You see that stuff on the ground? You know, the stuff that your dead body is still lying in! Yes? Good. Don't stand in that, it's bad. If you stand in it, healers won't heal and you will die...and then if you do it again, they will probably get annoyed...and then if you do it again, they'll probably kick you from the group. And then you'll be upset, and you may start trolling and complaining in trade chat about them. Then they are going to tell everyone what really happened, and everyone is going to laugh at you. So, unless you're specifically told to stand in something (i.e. Power Generator on Omnotron), don't stand in stuff!

8. So your tank just died, as did the rest of the group, except you, you feign deathed, and there's this mob, it's all big and red and angry...enraged even...but everyone else is dead, because YOU forgot to tranquilize the mob. Don't be that guy. Know your skills available to you and know what to use them on. Know what targets can be CCed and how.

9.So you just wiped on trash, because this mob was casting this big spell that needed interrupting, because it heals all the mobs, but nobody did. And then the healer ran out of mana and couldn't heal the tank. Now everyone is asking why you didn't interrupt this mob. "I don't have any interrupts. I'm a Survival hunter!" you say. Then the group kicks you. And rightfully so. Because, every hunter spec has trash interrupts in disguise (unless the mob is CC immune in which case you were right). They are called Scatter Shot and Wyvern Sting (for Survival only obviously). Yes, besides disorienting targets or putting them to sleep, they also...you guessed it...interrupt their spell casting.

10. "So this one run, i was in this PUG and I linked the DPS meter, because I was totally the highest DPS with my Survival hunter, by 0.01% over the mage, the ret pally and the tank, and they kicked me those bastards!" You deserved to get kicked! No one likes a show-off, especially when playing a proven to be slightly over-powered class. Oh and don't ask others to link DPS meters either, we know you are running one and just want people to see how awesome you think you are. Don't make me link the Total deaths. I'm warning you! I'll link CC breakers as well! No, you know what? You're a huntard. /Gkick. :)

Keep on hunting and don't be huntards :)

Serebihm

Cataclysm Hunter Reputation Cheatsheet

2011-01-06T04:14:00.006+13:00

Cataclysm presented budding hunters with 6 new reputations to grind up and earn rewards from. Some reputations provided dailies to speed up the grind, others didn't. Some reputations provided gear upgrades, whilst others provided specialty enchants. Below you'll find a cheatsheet with all useful hunter-related info needed.

Baradin's Wardens/ Hellscream's Reach

Reputation gain means:
6 Dailies available each day at Faction camp in Tol Barad.

6 Dailies available in PvP Zone of Tol Barad. Faction control required. Additional dailies may be available after each subsequent victory. Check back often.

Victory in Tol Barad awards reputation.

Defeating Pit Lord Argolath in Baradin Hold rewards reputation.

Rewards:
(Quartermaster located in Tol Barad Faction camp)

Revered:
Spear of Trailing Shadows
Sky Piercer

Exalted:
Unsolvable Riddle
______________________________________________________________

The Earthen Ring

Reputation gain means:
Certain quests in Vash'jir, Deepholm and some in Twilight Highlands reward Earthen Ring reputation. Completing all Earthen Ring quests will get you to Revered status.

Killing mobs in high-level dungeons and all heroics whilst wearing Earthen Ring Tabard will reward reputation.

Rewards:
(Quartermaster located at Silver Tide Hollow in Vash'jir. Questing maybe required to unphase him)

Honored:
Mantle of Moss

Revered:
Softwind Cape

Exalted:
Signet of the Elder Council
______________________________________________________________

Guardians of Hyjal

Reputation gain means:
Cerian quests in Mount Hyjal will reward reputation. Completing all Guardians of Hyjal quests will get you to Revered status.

Killing mobs in high-level dungeons and all heroics whilst wearing Guardian of Hyjal Tabard will reward reputation.

Rewards:
(Quartermaster located in Nordrassil in Mount Hyjal)

Revered:
Acorn of the Daughter Tree

Exalted:
Treads of Malorne

______________________________________________________________

Therazane

Reputation gain means:
Certain quests in Deepholm will reward reputation. Completing all Non-Daily Therazane quests will get you to Honored status.

7 Dailies available each day at Therazane's Throne in Deepholm. (Questing required to unlock)

Killing mobs in high-level dungeons and all heroics whilst wearing Therazane Tabard will reward reputation.

Rewards:
(Quartermaster located at Therazane's Throne in Deepholm. Questing required to unphase him)

Honored:
Lesser Inscription of Shattered Crystal

Revered:
Terrath's Signet of Balance

Exalted:
Greater Inscription of Shattered Crystal
______________________________________________________________

Ramkahen

Reputation gain means:
Certain quests in Uldum reward reputation. Completing all Ramkahen quest will get you to Honored status.

1 Daily available just southeast of Ramkahen in Uldum. 1 other daily in the central far north of Uldum.

Killing mobs in high-level dungeons and all heroics whilst wearing Ramkahen Tabard will reward reputation.

Rewards:
(Quartermaster located in Ramkahen in Uldum. Some questing required to unphase him)

Honored:
Belt of the Stargazer

Revered:
Arcanum of the Ramkahen

______________________________________________________________

Wildhammer Clan/ Dragonmaw Clan

Reputation gain means:
Certain quests in Twilight Highlands will reward reputation. Completing all Wildhammer/Dragonmaw quests will get you to Honored status.

5 Dailies available at Thundermar(Wildhammer)/Bloodgulch(Dragonmaw) in Twilight Highlands.

Killing mobs in high-level dungeons and all heroics whilst wearing Wildhammer/Dragonmaw Tabard will reward reputation.

Rewards:
(Quartermaster located in Thundermar/Bloodgulch in Twilight Highlands. Some questing required to unphase him.)

Revered:
Windhome Helm(Wildhammer)/Snarling Helm(Dragonmaw)
______________________________________________________________

Additional Tips:
I suggest finishing all of Mount Hyjal, Vash'jir and Deepholm to get you as high as possible with the Guardians, Earthen Ring and Therazane as they are the most rewarding for Hunters.

There are two major quest lines in Uldum. The quest line of Harrison Jones, which is started by Mack in Ramkahen, does not reward Ramkahen reputation.

Leave Twilight Highlands (Wildhammer/Dragonmaw) to last whilst levelling (unless it is required for profession unlocks) as it is the least rewarding for Hunters. Other helms of equal value can be obtained through dungeons and Justice points.

Make sure you pick up all Tol Barad dailies from the faction camp, even if you don't manage to complete them. There's a chance the questgiver may offer a different quest the following day allowing you to complete and hand in both of them.

Make sure you check back in Tol Barad (PvP Zone) after each victory. There are a possible 12 dailies available form 4 different NPCs. One questgiver is always up, whilst the other is randomized between the other 3.

Reputation tabards can be obtained at Friendly status. These will begin to give reputation on specific normal dungeons, namely Halls of Origination, Grim Batol and Lost City of Tolvir.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Groinstabber's Gold: Tol Barad = Cataclysm Goldmine

2011-01-06T03:40:00.000+13:00

Tol Barad is the new contested PvP zone for Cataclysm (much like Wintergrasp was for Wrath). It is broken up into two zones: A PvE zone for questing and the PvP zone where, the battle will take place every 2.5 hours or so. This is also the only place where the Baradin's Warden reputation (and of course Horde equivalent) can be farmed.

From a goldmaking point of view, this area is a true treasure trove if you know what treasures are there to be had. The most obvious way are the dailies. There are 6 daily quests available each day on the PvE peninsula, ranging from killing mobs to collecting items, and eliminating NPCs. But should your faction conquer Tol Barad, more dailies unlock on the PvP part of the islands. There are 12 possible dailies from 4 different NPC, but only 2 NPCs will appear at a time. However, after each battle 1 of the 2 NPCs seems to be randomly chosen. This means that it is possible to complete all 12 dailies in this area through the course of a day, provided your faction is able to continue to win the battle of Tol Barad. Now, I know that the gold reward from dailies are increased by certain conditions (guild perks I think) and can get sizeable indeed. For me each daily pays 18g80s and reward between 367 to 263 reputation. That in its own is a decent chunk of gold for 30 mins work, not counting any extra loot that can drop of the mobs.

I've found that the loot provided by these mobs do add up considerably as well. In my runs I get regular greens for disenchanting, plus plenty of cloth from humanoids. The crocs in the PvP area required for one of the dailies also provide cooking materials and, if you are a skinner, some nice Savage Leather. Because of the high volume of players doing these dailies there should often be a huge supply of dead, looted corpses, ripe for budding skinners.

Of course, just as in Wintergrasp you will find a nice concentration of herbing and mining nodes. Although my herber and miner aren't levelled high enough for me to take them in, I have come across plenty of Elementium nodes, as well as all kinds of herbing nodes.

Lastly, I would like to point out what a great fishing spot Tol Barad really is. This is the only area where you can catch Fathom Eels (a sought after fish for the best Agility food) and find Shipwreck Debris pools. When fishing these pools you may fish up any kind of Herb (so far I have fished up Whiptail and Azshara's Veil), Volatile Water and, my personal favorite, Sealed Crates. These crates usually contain several items including any kind of Cataclysm ore, heavy Savage Leather, Embersilk Cloth, any of the Cataclysm herbs, gold, Volatiles, Cataclysm basic foods and drink, as well as alcoholic beverages. These pools share their spawn points with the Fathom Eel pools, and there are a great many spawn points in this zone, making this a fantastic farming spot for fishers, with a great gold return. Drink a bottle of Waterwalking Elixir and traverse the coast lines and waterways. One roundtrip generally takes me aroun 5-8 mins. After doing some data-recording I've found the value of a crate coming to around 150g-200g (this is of course server dependent) on average and I've had up to 14 crates in 15 minutes. You do the math.

So pack your fishing rods, skinning knife, mining picks, bows, wands and swords and see what riches Tol Barad can bring for you.

Keep on hunting,
Serebihm

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a happy new Year!

2010-12-27T12:22:00.000+13:00

To all my readers and my fellow bloggers, I wish you a merry christmas, hope you all enjoy your holidays, and all the best for the new year. May it bring all you've wished for and may your dreams come true.
There hasn't been much time available to me for any new posts this week, as besides christmas and the new year I also celebrated my 30th birthday on Thursday. But don't despair once the crazy season is finished there will be plenty of new posts.

So once again I hope you've had a merry christmas, enjoy your holidays with your families and have a very happy new year.

Serebihm

The Turning - A short story from the Adventures of Serebihm

2010-12-17T16:53:00.000+13:00

Serebihm slowly drifted back into consciousness. His vision was still blurred, but he could make out several silhouettes hunched over looking at him. "He's coming to" a female voice said. "Lay still Night Elf, you are still to weak. You need to rest." Serebihm tried to move, but couldn't as he was restrained, strapped to the bed he lay in. "This is for your protection, Night Elf, as well as ours" the woman said. " Serebihm could feel a strange sensation coursing through his body. He felt ill and dizzy. Something was infecting him, that much he knew. His vision became clear, and he looked around the room. He did not recognize where he was. Come to think of it, how did he even get here?

His last memory was that of him visiting his destroyed home in Auberdine, and then he had set out to find Deathwing. "Where....am...I?" Serebihm asked weakly. " You're in the Darkshire Inn." the woman replied. Serebihm looked puzzled. "Why...am....I here? What's happened to me." The woman looked at the Night Elf druid sitting in the corner of the room, questioningly. He nodded. "You don't remember anything, Night Elf?" she asked. Serebihm shook his head. "From what we can gather, from eyewitnesses and those that found you, you were riding through Darkshire when you were set upon by a group of cursed Worgen, near the orchard. You have been bitten. We were lucky to still find you alive, but unfortunately the curse has taken hold. It cannot be removed, only restrained." Serebihm took a few moments to take in those words. "What curse? And what do you mean, it can't be removed only restrained?" he asked in panic. "When the worgens bit you, you were infected with the curse of the Worgen, the same curse that affects them, turns them into wolfmen. If not treated quickly enough, as in within ten hours, the curse will take hold and cannot be removed, meaning you too will turn at the next full moon. That full moon is tonight. That is why you are restrained. But don't worry too much. You are alive, and the curse can be restrained so that you can control it. The druids are working on the restraining elixir and incantations now." The woman turned to the druid again. "How much time until the turning?" she asked. The druid stood up and peered through the window at the night sky. "Not very long. Maybe five minutes. Don't worry yourself, innkeeper. The elixir is ready, as are we. Now we just wait for it to begin." Two further druids entered the room. "All is ready" one said.

Serebihm tried to fathom what he had just learned. He could not. A worgen. he was going to turn into a worgen. he was breathing heavily now. Only five minutes the druid had said and that was about five minutes ago. What was going to happen he wondered. "Will the restrains hold?" he heard the woman ask. " They must...for our sake...and his. If they don't and he gets loose before the ritual is finished, he will become like those roaming the land, uncontrollable, savage and hungry beasts. Look, its beginning." All eyes were now on Serebihm. His body began to convulse violently, testing the restraints. One druid grabbed Serebihm by the jaw, trying to pry it open. "Quick, Night Elf, you need to drink this." Serebihm opened his mouth, and the druid poored a glowing white liquid down his throat. Serebihm struggled to gulp it down. It was a strange tasting liquid. He could feel a numbness overcome his body. He relaxed and began to smile. " You're smile is premature Night Elf, the worst is about to come." Suddenly Serebihm's body began to convulse again, much more violently than before. pain rippled through his body. Every muscle, joint and bone seemed to scream in pain all at once. His face began to contort, his skull cracking as it began to transform. The druids had started their incantations, in a language Serebihm had never learned. His ribcage began to expand, which sounded like gunshots as his ribs cracked in transformation. Serebihm was writhing in pain, his screams turning more and more into howls. The inkeeper watched in horror and began to step away from the bed.

The transformation was almost complete, the writhing body turning into a rapid shaking. Then in one swift move, just as the incantations had finished, Serebihm ripped off the restrains and lunged at the druids, who swiftly stepped aside. " STOP! CONTROL YOURSELF!" one screamed. Serebihm's senses began to return, his rage subsiding. he could feel this new power flowing through his body. He felt stronger, faster than he could have ever imagined. "You are a worgen now." the druid spoke. "The curse has been restrained, but you will need training to control your new powers. You must make your way to Gilneas. Those are your people now, they will teach you, I have already sent word of your arrival." Serebihm looked at the druid and smiled viciously. "I will go when I choose, druid. But don't worry. Go, I will." he growled. "I thank you for your efforts, but I must run. I have worgens to catch!" Serebihm crouched, then lept over the druids and through the window. He landed in the town square and turned towards the druids now standing at the window. He let out one big howl and took off, disappearing into the forest, towards the orchard. "Something tells me you won't have any more Worgen issues after tonight, innkeeper." one druid said. In the distance the sound of shrill, painful howls pierced the night.

Groinstabber's Gold Tip: The New Leathers

2010-12-16T03:15:00.000+13:00

As I was trying to level up my Leatherworking on Serebihm, I was ultimately forced to buy materials from the Auction House. What greeted me was a pleasant little surprise. It is already possible to make gold of the new leathers in the same way as during Wrath of the Lich King. The average price of Savage leather scraps on my server were around 82s each. Savage leather was going for anywhere between 8-15g each. Heavy Savage leather was priced anywhere between 50-100g. It takes 5 Leather scraps to make 1 Savage leather, and again 5 Savage leather to make 1 Heavy Savage Leather. So 25 Leather scraps would be needed to make 1 Heavy Savage leather. taking the average price from above it would only cost you 20g50s (or so) to create 1 heavy Savage leather which can be sold for a huge profit. So go ahead, check the prices on your server and start making millions.

Serebihm's Lil' Tips for Trapping

2010-12-15T01:28:00.000+13:00

Hunters that only started during Wrath of the Lich King are going to get a rude awakening when stepping into dungeons and heroics. Gone are the days of AoE tanking and Aoeing all the mobs down, no, these days you will require Crowd Control to succeed. So hunters better dust off their trap launchers and get ready for some serious trapping. Here are a few tips and tricks to improve your trapping and crowd controlling game.

1. The first thing I do when I step into a pug and even a guild run is to let the other guys know that I as the hunter should be responsible to pull. This is because traps are location-based not mob-based. All other classes simply need to select their target and cast the spell to control their mobs, hunters need to place the traps. Although it is of course possible to trap mobs once the fight is underway (more on that later) but it is so much easier if the hunter traps initiate the pull. Also hunters have feign death and misdirect to diffuse any initial aggro off the trap pull whereas only rogues have a similar skill.

2. Make sure you move to a spot where you are going to be able to continue to control your target and keep an eye on your controlled target. A lot of these fights will involve moving and you will want to ensure that you always have a clear view and are in range of your trapped target. There's nothing worse than a trap breaking out and you are unable to retrap quickly because the big main boss (for example0 that you are fighting is blocking your view.

3. If your trap was broken by AoE or a pull was initiated by someone else and you were unable to trap successfully, do not despair. You have a taunt in Distracting Shot, use it. Place a trap in front of you, move back a couple of steps fire distracting Shot and when you see the target coming towards you turn off Auto Shot and wait for the target to be trapped. Also communicate at the start of the run that you will be doing this in these situations and let the tank know to not worry about any mobs running towards you. You do have Feign Death after all if it is unwanted aggro. Marking up mobs will help the tank identify that the mob going for you is your trap target.

4. Don't forget that you have other crowd control skills available to you. If you are a survival hunter you can effectively control two mobs at the same time. One using your trap, and the second with a combination of Wyvern sting and either Scare beast (when applicable) and Scatter Shot. For trash Wyvern Sting usually will control it long enough on its own until it becomes the new kill target.

I hope these tips help you refine your trapping and crowd controlling skills. Believe me when I say you will need them. Dungeons and heroics are challenging and I love the fact that we are forced to learn basic raid techniques such as good raid awareness, communication and having to adapt this early into the new expansion. If you have any tips or general comments please feel free to post them below, I love reading what you guys think.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

85, Worgen and loving it

2010-12-13T03:54:00.000+13:00

Serebihm is now officially a Worgen and all I can say is, THIS IS THE BEST ALLIANCE RACE!! PERIOD!. I love everything about Worgens. Useful racials, great animations and they occasionally do a back-flip when they jump!It took me about 2 days to get to 85, and I am now heavy into high-level normal and heroic dungeons. Unfortunately, Serebihm's professions had to take a backseat as they are both crafting professions, but I'll get around to it, when the material prices settle down. I love the new zones, especially Uldum, and Vashj'ir is very original. Dungeon wise, they are very well designed environments, and, thank god, challenging. I think I am really going to enjoy this expansion and hope you guys do to. More posts and Cataclysm guides are in the works, so check back often.

Keep on hunting,

For Gilneas,

Serebihm

Turning Worgen?

2010-12-02T22:42:00.000+13:00

At this point in time I am about 75% sure I will change Serebihm's race. When Blizzard announced they would rework all racials I was excited as I was hoping Night Elves would finally get racials befitting their race. You know something useful for Night Elves hunters. Alas it was not to be. Instead Blizzard have decided that the racials felt balanced and didn't need reworking. I had been thinking about changing Serebihm's race for a while. I am a raider at heart and wanted to make sure that my character can bring as much DPS as possible. Although the dps increase gained from any of the DPS racials would only be minimal, it's still a dps increase. It's just the kind of player I am.

So I'll put it to my readers. Should Serebihm turn Worgen? Let me know why too. I'd like to have a compelling reason when people ask why I changed and maybe my fellow readers can give me something better and more colorful than "Because Night Elf racials sucked!"

Looking forward to hearing from you guys,

Serebihm

Apologies and Blog skin change

2010-11-29T16:44:00.000+13:00

I must apologize to my readers who were unable to comment on my posts. The previous third-party template I was using wasn't functioning properly and because my XML knowledge is rather limited I was not able to fix it. So I was forced to change to a Blogger.com template, but the good news is that commenting works again. So please do comment on my posts as it will give me an indication if people agree with my posts or not.

Again my apologies to all readers who missed out on their opportunity to comment, and please advise me by email if there are any other issues with my blog. Also thanks to the reader who pointed out this fault via email.

Serebihm

Return to Azeroth - A short story from the Adventures of Serebihm

2010-11-28T17:56:00.001+13:00

Serebihm sat atop the pier of Rutheran Village, his gaze fixed across the water, pondering the past few weeks. With Arthas defeated and a new Lich King in place on the Frozen Throne, he had fulfilled his contract of service to King Varian Wrynn. He was free to go home. Ah, home. How he had missed the woods of Teldrassil and Darkshores. He remembered thinking of his friends and family only moments before boarding the ship in Valiance Keep. He had been happy then. Little did he know of the events that had taken place only days before his departure from Northrend.

Serebihm surveyed the smoke rising from the Darkshore coast in the distance. 'He' had done this, he thought. He of fire and steel, he who was dormant for centuries but awoke to sunder the world. Deathwing. That's what they called him. He had heard the legend of Deathwing as a child. The dragon driven mad by the Old Gods themselves. He remembered thinking it a myth. Now Deathwing was back, taking his revenge on Azeroth and those who opposed him. Azeroth had paid the price for Deathwing's fury, and what great fury it was. The Cataclysm they called it.

Serebihm knew something terrible had happened when the ship had pulled into Stormwind Harbour. Black, toxic smoke had been billowing from the city, visible from miles out. Citzens were eager to tell the tale of Deathwing's attack. Reminders of that fateful night were everywhere, from the burnt imprints on Stormwind's Gate Towers to the charred hole that was once the Park district. So much destruction, so much pain. After all he had been through in Northrend over the past two years, this was the last thing he wanted to see.
He didn't know why he didn't catch the boat to Teldrassil. Fear perhaps. Fear of seeing with his own eyes of what might have happened to his family. He should have gone home, but he didn't. Instead he travelled to Westfall. He had been there before, many years ago. Things had changed since then. Sentinel Hill was only a small outpost then, not the fortress it was now. In the distance he could see the Vortex, a leftover of Deathwing and the Twilight Hammer's dark magic.

From Westfall, Serebihm had travelled to Stranglethorn Vale. He had been happy to see it mostly untouched. He had travelled here a few years back, in search of the fabled Razzashi Raptors of Zul'Gurub, prized amongst all adventurers. It had taken him numerous attempts to try and catch one, more than he cared to count, but catch one he did. It was on this Raptor that Serebihm had made his way through Stranglethorn Vale. He had visited Zul'Gurub. It was deserted, no sign of the god Hakkar and his crazed troll followers. The troll city lay completely empty. He continued south to Booty Bay. Just like Stormwind so did Booty Bay still bear the signs of Deathwing's Cataclysm. A huge tsunami had slammed into the small coastal community. The entire place was covered in seaweed and dead fish. The stench was unbearable. But Booty Bay was still standing and, thanks to the tireless goblins, still functioning. The ship to Ratchet still sailed and so Serebihm made his way to Kalimdor.

It was here, in the Barrens, the impact of Deathwing's fury was most evident. Serebihm had thought it exaggeration when people had told him the world had been torn asunder. But here he could see that it was true. The Barrens had truly been torn apart, divided in two by a great flaming ravine, now known as the Great Divide. Taurajo was burnt to the ground and Mulgore had closed its great gate.

Instead of turning north towards Ashenvale and home, Serebihm turned his raptor south towards the Thousand Needles. He had been looking forward to seeing the Shimmering Flats racetrack again. Yet he looked with despair onto the water that now covered the land. A fellow traveller had told him though, the Shimmering Flats racetrack still exists - on water. It was a tiring swim for Serebihm's sea turtle, but a trip worthwhile. The goblins had built a floating base where the racetrack used to be. Serebihm marvelled at their ingenuity. He would come back here again, that much he knew.

From here Serebihm had travelled to the goblin town of Gadgetzan in Tanaris, now a coastal community. Tanaris had also been hit by a tsunami. Steamwheedle Port was destroyed and the water had flooded most of the eastern coast. He never liked Tanaris very much. It was full of giant bugs and ogres, and he had horrible memories of one particularly annoying mechanical chicken. Besides the desert was hot and dry, no place for a Night Elf. Serebihm had decided he would travel to Feralas and visit Feathermoon Stronghold, the place of his training.

Serebihm had heard rumours that Feathermoon was also attacked and destroyed, So it was with joy that he found it rebuilt on the coast of Feralas. However, it troubled him to find it not just inhabited by Night elves, but also new, different folk. He had heard of the wolf people and their desire to join the Alliance. He had met them before - these "worgens" - in Darkshire, years ago, but the encounter wasn't a pleasant one. The worgens here seemed different though. They were organised and disciplined, trained in the ways of the Night Elves, not the bloodthirsty beasts that Serebihm had encountered that day. Serebihm had been impressed after watching a Worgen battalion in training. These were truly benevolent creatures, dedicated to their studies and extremely skilled warriors.

Having seen the survival and perseverance of Feathermoon had given Serebihm hope. Maybe Auberdine, his home, had also survived, or at least been rebuilt. Maybe his family was fine after all. He had to go to Auberdine, and he had to go now and fast. He mounted a hyppogryph and set off for the Darkshores and Auberdine. As he flew through the Kalimdor skies, Serebihm could only think of his family. He imagined how elated they would be, when he would turn up at their door. He imagined joining his father on a hunt through the woods, showing off his skills with the bow, and he imagined how proud his father would be. He imagined telling the tales of his time in Northrend and seeing the loving eyes and smile of his mother as she listened intently. Of course his family were fine, he thought. They were survivors.

Serebihm had spent most of his young life in Auberdine and its surrounding forests. His family had moved here from Dolanaar to join the conservation efforts of the Cenarion Circle. Both his parents were respected druids within the circle and both had high hopes for Serebihm. However, it became apparent very early, that he did not inherit the magic his parents possessed. And so he became a Hunter, the eye of the forest and agent of the Circle. His memory drifted toward his first companion, Saber, a young moonstalker cub he found here, distressed, by its mother's dead body, killed by passing orcs. He had tracked them down and killed them, avenging the death of the Moonstalker Matriarch. Saber stayed with Serebihm for years and through many battles, before returning to the Darkshore forests to take his place as Patriarch of the Moonstalker pride. Yes, he should very much like to see him again, Serebihm thought.

As the hyppogryph had passed the last of the Stonetalon Mountains, Serebihm's hope had turned into despair as he surveyed the devastation below. Auberdine was gone, annihilated. The hyppogryph had touched down nearby, in the cover of the forest. Serebihm rushed towards the ruins of Auberdine. he moved silently through the forest as fast as he could. There was no signs of life in the town, apart from the odd agent of the Twilight's Hammer cult. In the distance he could see the elemental that was now guarding the harbour. The entire town had been razed to the ground. He reached his home, or at least what remained of it. He stood in what was once the doorway, looking for any signs that his family may have escaped. There were none. "Whoever, you are looking for, friend, they are gone. I am sorry." said a voice behind him. Serebihm had turned to see an old man, frail, dirty, leaning on his staff. " How do you know that!" Serebihm snapped. "Because I buried them" the man replied. "Behind the house." Serebihm ran to the back of the house. Indeed, there were two graves with Cenarion Amulets hanging on the crosses. He recognised them. Serebihm sank to his knees. The man laid a comforting hand on Serebihm's shoulder. "They had no chance. Deathwing attacked in the middle of the night. There was no escape." the man said. "By Elune, I will avenge you!" Serebihm whispered. When Serebihm stood up the man was gone.

Back at the pier, Serebihm turned his gaze away from the distant smoke and looked to the sky. "I will avenge you!" he whispered. He stood up and turned to the flightmaster holding the hyppogryph. "What will you do now?" the man asked. Serebihm mounted the hyppogryph and turned to the flight master. "The only thing I know" Serebihm answered. " I'm going hunting!". Serebihm turned the hyppogryph towards the sea. "Hunting? What are you going to hunt?" The flight master asked. Serebihm turned towards the flight master and smiled grimly. "Dragons!" he growled. "Big dragons!" The hyppogryph leapt of the pier, gracefully taking to the air. The flight master watched as Serebihm disappeared into the distance. Then he turned and walked towards the village, shaking his head. "I wouldn't," he muttered to himself.

Glory of the Icecrown Raider (10man) Guide

2010-11-25T13:05:00.001+13:00

Having recently finished this achievement and attained my Bloodbathed Frostbrood Vanquisher, I thought why not share my experiences and tips. This guide assumes that your raid is familiar with normal mode strategies. So without further adieu:

Lord Marrowgar
Heroic mode
Lord Marrowgar is the first boss you will encounter in ICC. On heroic mode he will cast Bonespike on a random raid member, even when he actvivates his second special ability, the moving Whirlwind that is Bonestorm.
During the encounter make sure any Bonespikes are DPSed down as quick as possible, and avoid the Bonestorm as much as possible. A common strategy is to place each of the tanks in the far corners of the room, whilst the rest of the raid stack in the middle to have Marrowgar bounce between the 2 tanks.

Boned! Achievement
This achievement should be done in normal mode. Theidea here is to kill him faster than he takes to cast a 4th Bonespike. This fight on normal mode can be solo-tanked if you have a well geared tank, and it certainly can be 2 healed, which will allow you to take 7 dps, more than enough to kill him quickly.

Lady Deathwhisper
Heroic Mode
In heroic mode Lady Deathwhisper will call her adds in Phase 1, and 1 further add in regular intervals during Phase 2. She will regularly empower one of her adds, as well as regularly mind control one of the raid members (even in phase 2). She will also regularly cast Death and Decay in both Phases.
As in normal mode DPS down her mana-shield, and down any adds when they appear. Also ensure that any Mind-controlled raid member is quickly CCed as they can cause havoc if left unchecked. Try and bring the shield down once a set of adds are downed and before a new set is spawned. Once phase 2 begins all DPS must drop their threat as she is not tauntable. Hunters in rogues should misdirect and then Feign death and Vanish when the threat disappears. One tank will now tank the boss while the other is responsible for picking up and tanking the spawned add. The first main tank should also drag her to the entrance of the room as this where the new add will spawn from, making it easier to pick it up. As in normal mode the tanks will still need to switch when she puts her debuff on the current main tank. Assign 1 dps on add duty while the rest bring her down.

Full House Achievement
The idea here is to kill her whislst you have at least 5 DIFFERENT adds up. This is best achieved with a normal fanatic and adherent, a reanimated fanatic and adherent, and a deformed fanatic. Ideally you want 3 tanks for this; in phase one, 2 of the tanks will pick up all the spawned mobs whilst the 3rd tank will pull off and tank any adds that are to be kept alive. The DPS should not kill any adds until you have the first few adds changing. Once you have a reanimated add kill any remaining of the same kind i.e if you have a reanimated fanatic kill any remaining fanatics. Once you have A deformed fanatic, any tank that is not tanking the adds to be kept alive, will peel off and kite it but ensure you don't kill it. The remaining tank will now be the lone tank picking up any new spawning adds. Once you have both reanimated adds and a deformed you can pull off the 2 unchanged adds. Kill any remaining adds and time it that shield goes down before any new adds. The Boss tank and the tank kiting the deformed fanatic will now be responsible for switching targets when she casts her debuff.

Gunship Battle
Heroic Mode
It is loot ship either way and as long as gunners take out the rocketeers in the back of the ship and the spawning adds are dealt with swiftly you should not have a problem.

I'm on a Boat Achievement
This again best done on normal but possible on heroic. Simply rotate the jumping DPS and tank after 2 jumps. Healers should be able to stand on the edge of the Alliance ship to heal the jumping tank and therefore don't need to jump.

Deathbringer Saurfang
Heroic Mode
In my mind this will be the first real gear check on heroic. You will need high DPS, good heals and durable tanks. This fight isn't very different from normal mode, except that the Blood Beasts now enrage and put a slow on whoever they target, making kiting them extremely difficult. Therefore they need to be downed quickly. Employ as many instant slows as are possible such as stunners from melee classes, Frost traps from hunters, Earthbind totems from Shamans and Blowbacks from Druids. Hunters especially are the most useful here with traps and a well timed Disengage. Heroism/Blood lust should be saved for his soft enrage a 30%. All classes need to avoid damage as much as possible as his Blood Power will fill up a lot faster than on normal mode.

I've Gone and Made a Mess Achievement
This is again possible on both difficulties but considerably more difficult on heroic mode but also effectively guaranteed on heroic as anything more than 3 Marks of the Fallen Champion will be too difficult for the healers to handle. Either way the key is take as little damage as possible to slow the amount of Blood Power Saurfang absorbs.

Festergut
Heroic Mode
Besides having more health and doing more damage on heroic, Putricide will now also regularly throw Malleable Goos at random targets. If hit you will take damage and your casting will be slowed by 75%. Before starting this fight I suggest going into the Deadly Boss mods options for this fight and enable the Malleable Goo announce to raid option. Do this fight as you normally would, but move out if malleable goo is cast where you are standing. A common strategy for melee is having all of them stack one of Festergut's legs and simply move to the other leg when Malleable Goo is targeting melee.

Flu Shot Shortage Achievement
This is best done on normal mode. The idea here is to DPS him down withh all raid members only having 2 stacks of Innoculation. To achieve this you will have the first 2 spore targets stay away from all other raid members so only they themselve will get Innoculated. During the next round of Spores, should the two spore targets of the first round not be targeted, they will move away and miss inocculation, whilst the rest of the group needs to get innocculated. Should either one be trageted again this round they will need to share it with the rest of the group and hope they are not selected in the third and final round. You need to DPS Festergut down before a fourth round of Innoculations. A decently geared group can attempt to two heal ths fight to get an extra DPS.

Rotface
Heroic mode
This fight, like Festergut, is very similar to normal mode, with only one new ability added to the encounter; Putricide will now cast Vile Gas on a random target at range. This includes the tank that is kiting the Ooze. To combat this, all ranged will need to spread around the room to avoid puking on other raid members. Should the kiting tank be targeted by Vile Gas either a hunter or the main tank need to taunt the Big Ooze of the kiting tank (preferably the hunters as the main tank has enough on his plate). The kiting tank must then taunt the ooze back quickly.

Dances with Oozes Achievement
For this achievement, you must kill Rotface without any Oozes growing to four stacks. This is actually pretty easy. Simply keep joining 2 Oozes to create 2-stack Big Oozes. Again, 2-heal this to gain an extra dps and burn him down faster.

Professor Putricide
Heroic Mode
In this encounter you'll find two changes from normal mode. First, throughout the fight, Putricide will cast Unbound Plague on a random raid member. This debuff will do increasing shadow damage which each tick per second and lasts 1 minute. The damage per tick doubles each tick i.e the first tick will be 200 damage, then 400, then 800 etc. To remove this debuff it needs to be passed on to another raid member, which is done by simply standing close to them. Make sure you don't have several players standing too close to the affected player, as the debuff will then continuously jump between them. This is bad because once the debuff jumps from a player that player will have debuff that increases Shadow damage taken by 250% and can stack multiple times.
The second change is, that instead of a raid wide stun between phase changes, Putricide will instead cast both a Gas cloud and a Volatile Ooze at the same time.
The best way to this fight is to have your ranged DPs and healers stand in a diagonal line in the middle of the room. We often use the markings on the floor as a guideline. The tank will pick up the boss and pull him into one corner. This line will determine the sequence of Unbound Plague. The fight begins just as in normal mode. The other tank will change into Abomination, but will not use the slow effect on any adds in the first phase. When Putricide casts Unbound Plague, the affected Player will hold the Plague for a minimum of 8 seconds and up to 12 seconds before passing it on to the next player in line. Once it reaches the end of the line, 1 of the melee will step away from the boss and pick up the plague. if you have more than 1 melee, the next melee player must run to the previous melee target away from the boss.
When a volatile ooze is spawned it is of the utmost importance that all range and melee classes collapse on any target affected by Volatile adhesive to mitigate the damage from the explosion. It is vital that the player who currently holds the Plague stay away from any adhesive target, as you will get the Plague jumping amongst all the collapsing players. It is also vital that all players return to their original spot in line once the Volatile ooze is downed.
Make sure that you control your dps in a way that you shift the fight into the next phase WITHOUT having any adds up, as having 3 Oozes up is difficult to cope with. During phase change the Abomination will throw a slow on the Gas cloud, while ALL DPS burn down the Ooze, whilst sticking to the above strategy in dealing with the Plague. Once in Phase 2 Putricide will now also be throwing Malleable Goos around so watch out for those. After the second Phase change the raid will need to remain spread and continue to pass the Plague around whilst burning Putricide down. Be aware that once Putricide is down, the Plague will remain and needs to be passed around for the remainder of its duration.

Nausea, Heartburn, Indigestion... Achievement
For this Achievement you will need to defeat Putricide without using the Abominations slowing ability Regurgitating Ooze on any of the adds. 2-heal it to free up an extra dps to burn the adds down quicker, especially the Gas cloud.

Blood Council
Heroic Mode
In heroic mode ther is one new mechanic to the fight. Whenever a player moves for more than a second he will gain a debuff that will last 10 seconds and tick every second for shadow damage. This buff will stack the more you move. Because of the Shadow resistance buff provided by the Dark nuclei, only the tank dealing with Keleseth and the nuclei should be moving. All other players should keep movement to a minimum and avoid being thrown about by any vortexes. In this difficulty it is of utmost importance to have the ranged spread around the room as to always have someone in range of any Kinetic Orbs. One exploding orb can take out almost an entire raid. Note that hunter pets are perfect to keep kinetic orbs up. It is also very important that when Taldaram is active and his Empowered Flame is cast the targeted player runs away from it without stacking the Shadow debuff past 5 stacks. other players should attempt to get as much into the path of the fireball as possible without stacking their debuff to high, but to reduce the damage caused by the fireball. A fully charged Empowered Flame will one-shot any player. This fight is extremely healing intensive and it is recommended to use 3 healers.

The Orb Whisperer Achievement
This fight is all about raid awareness, as it requires you to down the 3 princes without any player being hit for more than 20000 damage. This means making sure that all kinetic orbs are kept in the air, as much damage as possible is mitigated from the Empowered Flame, and all vortexes are avoided as much as possible.

Blood Queen Lana'thel
Heroic Mode
Apart from having a larger health pool and dealing more damage this fight is no different from normal mode. Survival is key and the raid cannot afford the loss of any DPS to either death or mind-control. Ensure that you highest DPS are bitten first.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy Achievement
This achievement simpy requires you to kill the Blood Queen at least twice; once whilst being bitten and once without. Your heroic kill will count towards this achievement.

Dreamwalker Valithria
Heroic Mode
The difference to normal mode here is that adds will actually cause further damage to Valithria. Also adds will spawn a lot faster and Blistering Zombies will move a lot faster, making kiting a lot more difficult. Further, whilst entering the dreamstate thorugh the portals the healers will take damage. The remainder of the fight is effectilvey the same as normal mode with almost no room for error. ideally this should be 3 healed, with 2 healers going into the portals, and 1 healer staying out to take care of the raid. It is imperative for success, that the 2 healers don't lose their healing stacks gained from inside the portals. It is very important that Archmage Frostbolts are interrupted as much as possible, as slowed healers can miss their portal and then lose their stacks.

Portal Jockey Achievement
This achievement requires good awareness and good communication. You need to heal Valithria to full health, whilst ensuring every single portal is being used. Before the fight assign your 2 healers and a dps that will be jumping into the portals every round. Communicate early with your raid when portals pop up and if any of the portal jumpers are slowed from the Archmages and their Frostbolts.

Sindragosa
Heroic Mode
In this encounter Unchained Magic will now release a 30% damage, 20 yard radius AoE when it drops off. Also all damage is increased, and Frost Bombs are no longer survivable.In Phase 3 Mystic Buffets become lethal if stacked higher than 5 (earlier for low health classes). The fight should be attempted the same way as on normal mode, with the only difference being any players affected by Unchained Magic through Phase 1 will need to move away from the raid until the debuff drops off. It is imperative that everybody stacks behind Iceblocks during Air phase, you do not want to lose any players here. In Phase 3 stack the raid on the back leg, the first targetedplayer for Iceblock will then move to the front leg and get iceblocked. The remaining raid will then stack behind the Iceblock until their Mystic Buffet debuff wears off completely. It is recommended to wait until a second Iceblock is cast (which in turn shall now be placed at the back leg), before downing the first. The dance between iceblocks needs to be perfect for downing this boss. The fight is extremely healing intensive and if you find yourself struggling it is recommended to wear a 2-piece frost resist set.

Alternate strategy
It is possible to simply Zerg her down. For this however you will need a well geared group of 1 durable tank (2-piece frost resist gear recommended), 2 well-geared healers (we are talking at least some 25-man heroic pieces required), and 7 DPS, each needing at least 10-13k dps. Simply burn her down through Phase 1 but make sure you time so all dps and the tank have their cooldowns available once she hits phase 2. When phase 2 activates hit heroism/Bloodlust and all your cooldowns and burst her down. RNG will play a part in downing her, as any healer getting iceblocked in Phase 2 will spell certain failure.

All you can Eat Achievement
This is actually a lot easier then people think. Instead of dancing in phase 2 just burn her down. Ideally bring 1 tank, 1healer and 8 dps and hope the healer doesn't get iceblocked. It should be possible with 2 healers and 7 DPS. You will need to burn her down before any player stacks their Mystic Buffet up to 6.

The Lich King
Been Waiting a Long Time For This Achievement
The strategy to kill him and gain this achievement does not differ a great deal from normal. The only difference is that in phase 1 you wait before DPSing the Lich King until Necrotic Plague has stacked up to 30, simply ensure that you always have adds up for the Necrotic Plague to jump to. Have the Off-tank tank all Shambling Horrors and Drudge Ghouls. The rest of the fight is the same as normal mode.

Enjoy your new flying mount and congratulations. Please feel free to share any strategies and comments you might have for these fights.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

The End of the Northrend Journey

2010-11-25T02:55:00.003+13:00

Me on the Bloodbathed Frostbrood Vanquisher

With only a couple of weeks to go until Cataclysm, I have finally reached all my goals I set out at the beginning of Wrath of the Lich King. Well, originally my goal was simply to see EVERY Boss introduced in Wrath, but that looked unlikely early on. The guild I was with at the time made a difficult time of progressing through Naxxramas and those driven to do better, had no choice, except to take over leadership of the guild and try to recruit like-minded folk, or simply leave and find alternative guilds with the same intentions as you. And so shortly after the release of Ulduar, I found myself in a new guild, making new friends and seeing new content.

It didn't take a long time for my goals to be upgraded to KILL every boss introduced in Wrath. My guild was highly successful in progressing through content, although it paid little attention to the 10man side of raids. This caused a group of players to form up and create a side-raid group, designed to tackle heroic modes of and achievement runs on non-raid days. As it happened the group consisted of what could easily be considered the best raiders in our guild: dedicated to the task at hand, extremely motivated to researching strategies, punctual and always prepared with every consumable that may be required. In other words we WANTED to achieve our goals,and we would do WHATEVER it takes.

This meant that at some point the group of us found the belief to tackle even harder content, and we added heroic achievements to our list of goals. Our first task would be Ulduar and the Rusted Protodrake. We found this task relatively easy, with only Firefighter on Mimiron and One Light in the Darkness on Yogg-Saron providing any serious challenge. Once we had our Drakes we set our eyes on Heroic ToC. again we found the going relatively easy and I was soon the proud owner of Rhok'shalla, the Shadow's Bane.

This group realised that, as long as they stuck together they could do anything in Wrath, and so the final challenge began - Bloodbathed Frostbrood Vanquisher. It took a while but after 2 months of dedicating our spare time to Heroic Icecrown and 10man achievements, even this goal was achieved. The fights were difficult at times, Sindragosa in particular proved a bigger hurdle than originally anticipated.

But in the end here we are. During this expansion I have come into possession of not only the Rusted Protodrake but also The Bloodbathed Frostbrood Vanquisher. I have attained the title of Twilight Vanquisher AND received the Black Drake. I am a champion of the Frozen Waste and owner of the Red Protodrake. I am owner of a Blue Dragonhawk, White Hawkstrider, Swift Razzashi Raptor, Mekgineer's Chopper, Traveller's Tundra Mammoth and a Sea Turtle.I am a Crusader, Ambassador, Explorer, and above all I am a Kingslayer and Starcaller. Certainly there are other achievements to go for, but for me this expansion could not be any more complete.

And now its time to look ahead to Cataclysm. Will my goals change in any way? Hell no. Kill every boss introduced, obtain raid- achievement mounts and gain as many titles along the way as I can. One other goal I will add to that list - I want to hit the gold-cap in this expansion. I managed to get to halfway in WotLK (130k gold, the Gold cap was just over 214k). 1 million gold will be much tougher to achieve. I can't wait to get started.

I hope your time in Northrend was as productive as mine, and if not well there is still time to rectify the situation. Either way I will see you in the new world.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

A New Look!

2010-11-22T01:26:00.000+13:00

As you may have noticed I am using a new blog template. As my xml know ledge is rather limited, I've had no choice but go and browse online for a suitable template. This is the most huntery looking template I could find. Let me know what you guys think of it, or point me to some better, more suitable templates.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Handicapped Hunters

2010-11-21T15:05:00.000+13:00

I've been doing some 10 man raiding this week and I must say I feel a little handicapped. While my DPS is still top 3 on a minimal movement fight, it is pathetic on a heavy movement dependent fight, or one requiring a lot of target switching. The problem comes down to just one thing - we can't regenerate focus fast enough without Steady Shot to keep our DPS up. To often did I find myself in a situation where I had to move for whatever reason, I wouldn't be able to regenerate my focus with Steady Shot meaning Serpent Sting would drop off and my DPS would just collapse. And then of course the same thing would happen when doing boss fights that need a lot of target switching such as Dreamwalker Valithria, as mobs would die before Steady Shot would finish casting.

The thing is, I'm not sure that Aspect of the Fox will fix this problem. You see as it stands Aspect of the Fox will allow the casting of Steady Shot and Cobra shot whilst moving, and regenerate 2 Focus everytime we are hit by melee attacks. That’s it! I can see it as being useful for PvP but for raiding it is extremely weak. You see to cast Steady Shot we will need to be facing our target. In a lot of the movement fights we will actually be forced to run away from targets, not facing them and consider ICC fights - the idea is not to get hit by melee attacks.

The more I play my hunter I feel like our Arcane Shot and Steady Shot should be switched i.e. Arcane Shot should have a cast-timer and Steady Shot should not. I think it would be a fair trade-off; our high-DPS focus dump shot would have the cast timer and the low-DPS focus regenerate would be instant and could, for balancing purposes, be on a cooldown if need be (although I doubt the DPS would be all too different). Of course this would render Aspect of the Fox effectively useless (although its not far off as it is), so this change would be very unlikely.

But to be honest I feel the Marksman hunter in general feels a little clunky and not very well thought through. I keep wondering if Blizzard rushed their hunter designs a little. Aimed Shot is fail, Camouflage is going to be a waste of a skill, Aspect of the Fox had potential, but with every iteration it got worse and worse. And is it just me or does Chimera Shot seem a little weak? The old Chimera Shot was a skill to be proud of but this? and to top it all off, AoE is just a bad joke. I couldn't see the problem with Volley. I didn't for one second think it felt un-hunter-like. Hell, it think a better solution would have been to get rid of Multi-shot and rename Volley multi-shot. As it stands we appear to be the only class that can only AoE when something is targeted. But even should we have the opportunity to target something , our AoE is limited by range inbetween the mobs and general lack of damage, meaning we are well behind every other DPS class.

Of course I haven't tried any of the other specs yet and don't know how things will play out once we are raiding at lvl 85, but I'm a Marksman hunter at heart and would be extremely disappointed if my favorite spec had any major flaws causing it to be less effective then other specs. I am a little concerned to say the least.

Anyway, what have you guys noticed about current hunters? How do the other specs feel when playing? Do you disagree with my findings? Let me know your thoughts on the matter.

Keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Zuggaming Blogging Carnival: Making Gold in Cataclysm- Understanding the Basics

2010-11-17T16:06:00.000+13:00

With a new expansion about to come into existence, budding auctioneers, both new and old, are looking forward to finding new ways to fill their coffers. With thousands of speculations and opinions available through other blogs and podcasts, I found it necessary to write a guide that reminds new readers of some basic principles and auctioneering concepts. Too often do I read a comment of a new auctioneer complaining that the strategies that they've heard about didn't work and that they are not making any gold. This is because they forget some basic principles about making gold.

What a difference a server makes
First and foremost, with all the information, and strategies available on how to make gold, a new auctioneer has to remember the singular most important fact - their information is based on THEIR server AND faction, and may not be profitable on your server/faction. Ignoring this fact is a sure-fire way to failure, as you may decide to follow a strategy that simply is not profitable on your server. For example, on podcasts and blogs I have consistently heard about profits to be made in Jewelcrafting, both epic and rare. On several blogs there was talk about cut gem price being anywhere between 130-200 gold, yet on my server at that very point in time uncut gems were already in the early 90s with cut gem prices being only 5 gold more. My point is that with whatever strategy you choose to follow, you must first do the research on your own server. This can be as simple as researching cost prices of all materials required, and sale prices of the finished product. This should then give you a basic idea of how profitable the item will be, but don't forget to subtract the Auction house cut, if you plan to sell via the Auction House.

Profiteering with Professions
One of the first questions in any new Auctioneers' mind will be which profession is going to be the most profitable? For that we will have to look at what the economy will be like itself, and also what the professions will offer. Because the answer to this question will actually change over time.

At the beginning of the expansion (the first few weeks) Gathering professions will be the most profitable professions in Cataclysm. Why? because the markets will not have established themselves yet. As people are leveling their will be no real requirement for raiding flasks, rare gems, enchants, etc. and on top of that in that time players will try to level up their crafting professions to one day provide these items. This means that their will be a HUGE demand for raw materials and that demand can only be satisfied by gatherers.

After a few weeks, as players begin to max out their crafting professions and people will begin raiding, the consumable markets will slowly establish themselves. This will then be the time the crafting professions become more profitable. Also understand that huge profits can be had at this point in time, as the supply for raid consumables will be very low and exuberant prices can be charge.

Speaking long-term, any crafting profession that allows for the crafting of item enhancements and raid consumables will be very profitable. Raiders will always need new gems and enchants, flasks and raid food, etc. Therefore Jewelcrafting, Alchemy and Enchanting are probably the 3 most profitable crafting professions. Leatherworking, Tailoring and Blacksmithing are more focused on creating gear and therefore will be profitable, but due to a lower demand, perhaps not as profitable as the previous three.

Maximising profits
One important strategy to maximising your profits, and this is talked about on many blogs, is to diversify into multiple markets. Don't get holed down into just one market. In todays world trying to dominate just one market is difficult and risky. Try and get into as many markets as you can. For instance, if you have Jewelcrafter and Leatherworker like I do, don't just focus on epic gems (for example). My main had this combination and throughout WotLK, I was competing in the epic gems, rare gems, meta gems, leg armors, Armor kits, BoE and materials (i.e Heavy Borean Leather) markets. it is a simple formula: the more markets you're competing in, the more profit you can potentially make. But again I must stress the importance of doing your research first. Find out which markets are profitable first, and then go for it.

As you will probably be dealing with large quantities of materials, I would also suggest automating certain processes to speed up the auctioneering. In a world where time is money, wasted time is lost profits. A few useful addons can shorten the time that you spend browsing the Auction House, Bidding and posting, and getting your mail. Again there are many addons that are useful for these tasks but I personally will only mention Auctioneer (Which i use for market analysis), AuctionLite (used for mass-purchasing and posting) and BetterInbox (for mass collection of goods from mail box).

Potential profitable markets
Finally for this article, I will list the different markets I will be investigating in Cataclysm. These are the markets that I expect will have some long-term sustainability (i.e constant supply and demand).

Jewelcrafting - Epic gems, rare gems, meta gems (only Cata gems), Prospecting

Engineering - Vanity Pets (Old and new, engineering mounts if applicable)

Leatherworking - Leg Armor, Armor Kits, Upgraded Materials, BoE items, Profession bags

Alchemy - Raid Flasks, Gem Transmutations, Material Transmutations (i.e Titanium and Eternal equivalents)

Enchanting - Major Raid enchants, leveling Enchants

Inscription - Enchanting Vellums, Buff Scrolls, Darkmoon cards

Tailoring - Spellthreads, Bags (new and old), Upgrade materials, BoE Items

Blacksmithing (should i choose to level it up) - Boe Items, Shield Spikes, Belt buckles

Mining - High level Smelting

These should give you an idea of some markets to look into. Again, some of these may prove to be profitable on your server others may not. Only research and time will tell.

Patience is key
My last bit of advice is a reminder to people, that making lots of gold is most likely not going to happen overnight. It will take trial and error to be successful. be prepared for some ventures to fail, this is all part of the auctioneering fun. As a bit of encouragement, I started with approx. 5000g when I got into auctioneering in the middle of the year, and made over 100000g in about 2 months (average auctioneering time about 1 hr per day), all by sticking to the above-mentioned principles and concepts. I spent most of it now (60k on mounts and 60k on BoE items for me and my wife, needless to say my priest was ICC ready the minute he hit 80), but I will take 35k into Cataclysm, which is more than enough to start with.

So go out there and make your fortunes, but please have fun while doing so, you might even learn something about economics on the way.

Serebihm

5 things to do before Cataclysm

2010-11-12T14:06:00.000+13:00

With just under a month to go until Cataclysm and no new content (apart from a few pre-event quests) released in the last few months, what is a hunter to do with his time? Well one can take a break until Cataclysm arrives, continue with the current boring raid-schedule and clear ICC for the upteenth time, or one can finish off any achievements and preparations for Cataclysm.

The first thing I would recommend for any hunter to do before Cataclysm, is to travel Azeroth and fill their stable with any pet types that are missing. This will ensure that you begin the new expansion with a full complement of raid buffs available to you once your leveling to 85 is complete.

Next I would suggest finishing off raid achievements such as the requirements for the Rusted proto-drake in Ulduar or the more sought after Frostbrood Vanquisher in Icecrown Citadel. Besides being probably two off the coolest flying mounts, they are also 310% speed meaning you would not need to purchase the flying skill come Cataclysm. Also the Ulduar achievements are now relatively easy to complete in ICC gear.

If you have already finished those achievements or maybe your guild is simply not capable of completing them, then Zul'Gurub would be my next suggestion. When Cataclysm arrives, Zul'Gurub will no longer be available, which means the Swift Zulian Tiger and Swift Razzashi Raptor mounts will no longer be attainable. Besides the two mounts there is also the Razzashi Hatchling companion pet and Polymorph: Turtle tome which drop in this instance. At this point it is unclear if Blizzard will remove these as well or offer alternative means of attainability.

Next I would recommend players use this time to level up any professions that need leveling. As boring as that may sound in some cases, consider that this means just one thing - gold in your pocket. As far as information about all the professions go, all of them will have fun components (mini-pets, mounts or novelty items) as well as their usual crafting and gold making components. So why not get up to date now, than being behind the ball and missing out on any of the profits that are surely going to be had early on in Cataclysm. Also consider that gathering professions such as skinning, mining and herbalism will be the most profitable early, when supply is low, and crafting professions will be the most profitable once supply and demand have been established.

Lastly I would suggest completing the Explorer achievements. This will allow you to see Azeroth as it was first created, because once The Shattering occurs the world will be different and certain sights may be lost forever. Some of the most changing zones include Thousand Needles, The Barrens, Desolace, Darkshore and Stranglethorn Vale.

There are certainly more things that one can choose to complete, but I feel these are the most important, as they involve things that help preparation, involve things that will change or disappear forever.

So good luck on your adventures and keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Pre-Cataclysm Hunter Verdict

2010-11-09T17:03:00.001+13:00

Patch 4.0 has been live for a few weeks now and we've had a chance to take our hunters through their paces. So what do I think of my hunter? Overall I very much enjoy him more than before. I love the fact that I do not have to worry about mana in any way, shape or form. Only a few days ago I realised though that old habits die hard, as, after a wipe, I ate a fish feast, rezzed my pet and healed it up, and then sat down and ate my a fish feast again, something I used to do to fill up my mana before eating my own buff food.

I think hunter DPS is still competitive in the right hands. My personal DPS in Icecrown still lies at around 11.5 - 14.5k depending on the boss. Trash, well I've never concerned myself with trash dps and I'm not about to start. It is interesting to note though that Boss rotations and trash/heroic rotations are significantly different, which I think, makes the hunter class more enjoyable, due to varied play-styles.

I am also extremely happy with the pet changes. I love the fact that hunters can bring effectively whatever pet we choose, should all buffs be covered. It was a sight to behold when my guild raided Icecrown Citadel and all 5 hunters in the raid had a different pet out - a cat, a raptor, a hyena, a wolf and a plainstrider. When was the last time anybody saw that?

So overall I am very excited and feel very prepared to step out into Azeroth post-Shattering. Now if only Blizzard had fixed Night Elf racials then I would have been truly at peace.

Keep on hunting,
Serebihm

Night Elves Unite!!

2010-11-06T13:32:00.000+13:00

I am a subscriber to The Hunting Party Podcast as well as a reader of Warcraft Hunters Union and I musty say I have a bone to pick with Frostheim. His continued racial attacks on Night Elves are unnecessary, unwarranted and uncalled for. You see I am a proud Night Elf hunter and it is time to stand up for my people.

Night Elves (or elves of any kind) embody the spirit of the hunter. There is no race in World of Warcraft or any other fantasy world that screams out hunter more than Elves do. Think about the imagery of elves in ANY fantasy setting. Creatures of the Woods, bow and arrows in hand, loyal pet by their side, at one with the forest. Lord of the Rings, Dungeons and Dragons (movies and games), Forgotten Realms, Warhammer, etc all show elves as the true hunters or, as they are also sometimes referred to, Rangers.

So how can anyone claim that Dwarves are truer hunters than Night elves? In World of Warcraft, as in all other fantasy worlds mentioned above, Dwarves are nothing more than loud, drunken, Blunderbuss-wielding brutes, with no regards for the land except for the minerals it holds. When the majority of people think of dwarves, they do not think of them as hunters, but Axe-wielding, plate-armored miniature behemoths, ready to clobber someone.

When I rolled my hunter, there was never any doubt about what race he will be - a night elf or a human. And since human wasn't allowed at the time, I went with Night Elf (my 1st choice anyway). Dwarves should not even be allowed to be hunters. Noisy, too drunk to work a firearm, living in caves, clumsy with those stubby fingers and too short to look over a bush. Night elves on the other hand are graceful and silent, with a steady hand and a keen eye - in theory at least.

You see the problem does not really lie with Frostheim as much as it does with Blizzard. When looking at the racials of both races, the Dwarves do trump the Night Elves in terms of hunters. But overall it is just the one racial - the bonus crit when using guns. Now I ask how can Night Elves not have gotten the bonus to Bows. No race could be closer associated with Bows and Arrows than the night elf, certainly not A FRIGGIN TROLL!!! And how the heck do orcs end up with the Pet bonus! Either talent screams out night elf. No instead we get Shadowmeld also known as Camoflage version 1.0! Oh yes and of course the wisp, because being a wisp is just so useful - NOT!! Quickness I can understand. It suits the night elves imagery of being elusive.

But all talent issues aside, the night elves are still and will always be the true hunters not because of the World of Warcraft talents, but because of how the world perceived them through history and imagery. Dwarves should consider themselves lucky to be half the hunters that Night Elves are, in both skill and stature, literally.

FOR DARNASSUS AND ELUNE!!!

The Return of Serebihm

2010-11-05T18:41:00.000+13:00

Not really much of a return, as I hadn't left but more of a "this is what I've been up to." I had taken a few weeks of from WoW as well as work. I spent a bit of time visiting friends and family, and also managed to attend Armageddon Expo 2010 in Auckland (The New Zealand equivalent of Comicon I guess). I had a great time there, but the only World of Warcraft related items there (other than the odd Draenei costumes) were the miniatures and Trading Card game.

Upon my return I decided I would take at least one more week of from WoW to fully recuperate from WoW burnout. Being an RPG gamer from the days of Baldur's Gate I couldn't resist the temptation of Fable 3. Having played the previous 2, I was very much looking forward to this installment and I was not disappointed.

But now, as we edge ever closer to The Shattering and the return of Deathwing, it is time to dive back into WoW and the Hunter blog-o-sphere. I have several new posts already lined up for your reading pleasure and will also once again be participating in this month's Zuggaming's Blog Carnival, which is on November 18th, so keep a look out for that. The topic will be "How to make gold in CAtaclysm".

So let's get ready for Cataclysm and keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Patch 4.0.1 - Raiding

2010-10-19T02:26:00.000+13:00

Well, I have completed my first raid day on my hunter. From memory my DPS wasn't all that different from before. I was very surprised, particularly on Blood Queen, where I finished on 14.5k DPS (7th overall) WITHOUT having been bitten. So hunter DPS (at least mine) seems to be competitive still. The only other fight I participated in was Blood Council and I finished 3rd with 11.8k DPS.

At this point in time I don't worry about my DPS on trash, as it is useless, but on Boss fights I think hunters are still pretty good. My rotation generally goes something like Serpent Sting, Chimera Shot, Arcane Shot, 2x Steady Shot, 2x Arcane Shot, 2x Steady Shot, Chimera Shot, Arcane Shot, etc. etc. and firing off Aimed Shot whenever it procs. I once again have Rapid Fire, Readiness and Call of the Wild macroed together which I generally pop after my first 3 shots, and then whenever the cooldown is up and effects have worn off.

One thing I was discussing with my fellow hunters during raid is, that we find ourselves bar-watching far too much, keeping an eye on cooldowns and procs. I will definitely have to look at getting PowerAuras set up and possibly Ghost:Pulse or something similar to keep an eye on when Shots come off cooldown.

Overall I found it enjoyable to raid as a marksman hunter and not all too different from how it was. I love the fact I don't have to worry about my mana anymore, and the fact I can effectively raid with whatever pet I want (Razor, my purple Winterspring Frostsaber is finally number 1 again).

Please let me know how your raids have gone and as always keep on hunting,

Serebihm

Patch 4.0.1 - Day 2

2010-10-14T17:57:00.000+13:00

Ok still haven't had a chance to raid yet, but have a few heroics under my belt now. DPS on a dungeon boss is still competitive. That cannot be said for trash mobs. If single targeting trash, they die generally after 2 shots and chances of getting a kill shot or steady shot ( for Aimed shot procs) are slim at best. Multi-shot isn't as bad as I expected. The more mobs the better the DPS too (obviously).

No problems with Misdirect today, however with all the tank changes, I urge hunters to be considerate for your fellow tanks. Druid tanks are no struggling to hold more than 1 mob and I have heard that other tanks are also having threat issues. So please misdirect to your tanks when you can and single target whenever possible to make it a little easier for your tank (misdirect + multishot is a good way to get all the mobs to your tank, but single target when MD is on cooldown).

In regards to the Epic Gem transmute cooldown, well now the cooldown has actually switched back to 22 hours and no word from Blizzard if that is a bug or what's going on. I'll keep you posted should I hear something.

I missed today's raid, but a fellow hunter did go and was reporting a DPS loss of about 3k! That is alarming, and I look forward to getting a chance to confirm or improve on that. It seems that rogues were hit heavy too, at least from the recount report I saw, so at least if that is the case we hunters are not alone in low dps.

That's it for today from me, depending on new findings tomorrow, I shall inform you of these tomorrow.

Keep on hunting and continue to leave your 4.0.1 findings in the comments,

Serebihm

Patch 4.0.1 - First Impressions

2010-10-13T17:39:00.000+13:00

Hey guys, well patch 4.0.1 has hit and the chaos has begun. After a couple of delays my server finally went live and was able to get stuck in. I fixed my gems up pretty quick smart and once every red socket was fille with Agility gems, I STILL had around 65% crit chance. So I made use of Reforging and reforged my 4 highest crit pieces into mastery (remember to train for mastery when you first log in). I then went out and tamed a whole heap of pets that I would be needing for raids. On a side note for all you gold-makers: The Epic-gem transmute cooldown was not removed, just reduced, meaning there was no supply spike but a HUGE demand spike. I was selling Delicate Cardinal Rubies from anywhere between 150g to 200g.

Back to huntering, and I decided to do my daily random, which was Gundrak. the damage seemed to be about 500 to 1000 less than what it used to be, but I may need to fix up my gems a little more (still had several crit gems in). Oh and also be sure to advise your tank to let you misdirect pull, otherwise Aimed shot is effectively useless. I'm going to have to do a lot more playing around before I'll get a definitive picture of ideal spec, gemming, enchanting and rotation. Also note that misdirect seems a little buggy. At one point it refused to work completely displaying the message "You can't do that yet". This was out of combat, with the tank targeted and misdirect off cooldown.

Anyways feel free to post your findings in Patch 4.0.1.

Keep on hunting

Serebihm