Jurai wrote:Depending on the type of spec you choose (BM, MM or SV), the stats for your hunter or the stats that you should aim for can vary.
Hit rating
Many people seem to underestimate this stat but hit rating is one, if not the most important stat that you need to get until you reach the hit rating cap against lvl73 elites (bosses). Depending on your class or race, this hit rating cap can vary:
Hunters without any racial bonuses or talent bonuses require: 142 hit rating
SV Hunters with surefooted talent need: 95 hit rating
Draenai hunters without any racial bonuses or talent bonuses require: 127 rating or 79 hit rating with the surefooted talent from the SV talent tree.
In total, hunters need 9% added chance to hit a boss in PvE. It is important to reach this cap before raising the other stats in your gear as shots missing = 0 dps at all from that shot and also wasted ammo, and you'll find that the shots your missing will cut down your dps significantly.
RAP, Agility, Crit Rating and Mp5
Different specs tend to rely on certain specs in order to improve their dps; survival hunters chose agility and crit rating, MM hunters favour RAP while BM tend to keep a balance between RAP and crit rating. For MM and SV hunters, the reason they favour these stats is due to certain talents in their talent trees which can significantly enhance the potential of that spec, however due to these talents, the stats can differ from spec to spec.
Survival Hunters
There are a few talents in the survival tree that significantly enchance certain stats to this spec, also allowing it to excel at the role it plays in a raid. These talents are Survival Instincts (Increases attack power by 4%) and more importantly Lightning Reflexes (increases your agility by 15%). Due to expose weakness, SV hunters have a dire need to stack a lot of agility and a lot of crit in order to apply expose weakness, so the lightning reflexes talent significantly helps here, but it also means that the agility stat gives different figures for this spec:
1 ag = 1 Ap and 0.025% crit (Add in Lightning Reflexes 15% extra agility)
1 ag = 1.15 ag = 1.15 Ap and 0.0288% crit (Add in Blessing of Kings 10% extra agility since we are in PvE)
1 ag = 1.265 ag = 1.265 Ap and 0.0316% crit. (Add in Survival Instincts 4% extra ap)
1 ag = 1.265 ag = 1.3156 Ap and 0.0316% crit.
If EW is procced 1 ag = 1.265 ag = 1.6318 Ap and 0.0316% crit.
So you get over 1.5 Ap per agility if you are Survival and got EW procced.
Due to the need to keep EW up at all times and also for EW to provide enough AP to the classes that benefit from it, a lot of crit and agility is required. I would recommend a minimum of at least 600-650 agility (before applying lightning reflexes) equating to about 800agility fully raid buffed as well as 40% crit minimum before speccing SV. Another thing to note is that it is quite pointless to have more than 1 SV hunter in any one raid as EW does not stack with other hunter's EW, whereas BM's ferocious inspiration can stack with other BM hunter's and also MM's TSA buff (also able to put BMand MM hunter's in different groups to share buff with more ppl).
Marksmanship
Bore wrote:For MM
If you have a base dps of above 300 start stacking +crit, it scales a lot better than adding more Attack Power. (After you have reached the +hit cap) There is shitloads of math done around the specific numbers which I won't go into but just check your character sheet and if you've reached +300 base dps go for crit or atleast stuff that adds to your crit, like +Agi gems and Agi enchants.
Will write more on this when i read up more on stats

(not been my spec for a long time)
Beast Mastery
I'll admit that i've never specced BM before, so my knowledge of this spec is a little shady but imo BM hunters do not need to stack any particular stat due to them not having talents that enhance a particular stat such as MM or SV hunters. Personally I find that having a little more crit earlier on, without neglecting too little RAP can be most beneficial; gearing up with a nice balance between RAP and crit seems to be the way to go though. (Will write here more once i have pestered Bore / read up more

).
Bore wrote:For BM
I must admit I suck at theory craft for BM.. However there seems to be a golden rule of having around 25% crit, after that go for stacking more RAP since that will add to your pets AP where as your crit will not.
With 25% crit your pet will basically have a full focus bar all the time more or less (if you have speced correctly and have the Go for the throat talent).
All of these specs (although i suppose more SV and MM hunters) require a decent amount of intellect, so do be careful not to neglect too much of it. Due to the buffs to AotV, i don't think hunters need to aim towards getting gear with Mp5 much anymore, although a little doesn't hurt if its there.
Enchants
Helm: 34 ap 16 hit rating from Cenarion Expedition Revered (costs 85 when exalted i think)
Shoulders: If you're Scryer 15 crit rating 20 ap. If you're Aldor 10 crit rating 30 ap (down to personal prefence / benefits to you or your proffesions as both of these are decent).
Cloak: 12 Agility
Chest: +6 all stats (Personally i think 6mp5 isn't needed anymore with AotV buffs)
Bracers: 24 ap
Gloves: 15 Agility.
Legs: 50 ap 12 crit rating/40ap 10 crit rating.
Boots: 12 Agility
Rings: (enchanters only): 4 all stats.
2-Handed weapon: 70 AP if you think you got enough crit (around 30% as MM or BM) or 35 agility if you need crit or are specced Surv.
1-Handed weapons: 20 Agility (or 30 Intellect if you're lacking some mana or specced right as MM, although agi works too).
Ranged weapon: 28 Crit rating scope.
Gems
These are the ones I think are the best for a hunter are:
[item]Shadowsong Amethyst[/item] gem counts as Blue and Red:
[item]Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst[/item]
[item]Infused Shadowsong Amethyst[/item]
[item]Crimson Spinel[/item] gem counts as Red:
[item]Delicate Crimson Spinel[/item]
[item]Lionseye[/item] gem counts as Yellow:
[item]Smooth Lionseye[/item]
[item]Pyrestone[/item] gem counts as Yellow and Red:
[item]Glinting Pyrestone[/item]
[item]Seaspray Emerald[/item] counts as Yellow and Blue:
[item]Jagged Seaspray Emerald[/item]
Also, the only meta gem that a hunter should consider getting is the [item]Relentless Earthstorm Diamond[/item], as it tends to out perform the other gems by quite a long shot.
In my opinion, all specs will find that they benefit from 10AGI gems as apposed to AP gems (in red sockets, though often socket bonuses are not worthwhile) as although agility doesn't add to your pet's attack power, you'll find that crit is extremely important for keeping up FI via GftT.
The other gem colours vary on spec: if you're a survival hunter and need two blue gems for the meta requirement, [item]Shifting Shadowsong Amethyst[/item] is by far the best choice.
If you're a BM hunter, [item]Jagged Seaspray Emerald[/item] is generally the best choice, as crit is an important stat (and you'll also find that you get more ap from gear than you do crit). If you severely lack AP, then [item]Infused Shadowsong Amethyst[/item] can also be used.
For yellow sockets; survivial hunters will find that the majority of sockets except 2 for yellow and 2 for blue (meta gem) are filled with pure red 10 AGI gems. The best gem to go for by far (considering you're hit capped) is the [item]Smooth Lionseye[/item] to boost your crit even further. However, especially as you go further into T6, there is a severe lack of hit rating particulary in SV hunter's gear, so [item]Glinting Pyrestone[/item] can be very useful if hit is not capped.
If you're a BM hunter, you'll find that you'll have already achieved the meta gem requirements as you'll most probably have a lot of [item]Glinting Pyrestone[/item] gems in your gear. If you find that you
really need to boost your crit more and you're hit capped, [item]Smooth Lionseye[/item] can also be used.
Consumables
There are a number of consumables that can be used to additionally boost our potential in raids, however the best choice of foods differs from spec to spec.
SV hunters should be using [item]Elixir of Major Agility[/item] with [item]Elixir of Major Mageblood[/item] and [item]Warp Burger[/item] or [item]Grilled Mudfish[/item].
MM hunters could use either [item]Elixir of Major Agility[/item] with [item]Elixir of Major Mageblood[/item] or [item]Flask of Relentless Assault[/item] with either a [item]Ravager Dog[/item], [item]Warp Burger[/item] or [item]Grilled Mudfish[/item].
BM hunters should be using [item]Flask of Relentless Assault[/item] with either [item]Ravager Dog[/item], [item]Warp Burger[/item] or [item]Grilled Mudfish[/item].
At the moment I am able to make all of those elixir and flasks that i mentioned, as well as being an elixir master giving a chance to proc more than one, so just send the mats to me if you'd like. I'm sure there are plenty of capable chefs in the guild that can make at least two of the foods, if not all three
Hunters should also be using [item]Superior Mana Oil[/item] along with plenty of [item]Super Mana Potion[/item]/[item]Super Healing Potion[/item]/[item]Fel Mana Potion[/item].
Other items such as [item]Demonic Rune[/item] (does not share the same cd as pots, but beware the timing of using such items in raid encounters due to the sacrificing of health required) or [item]Flame cap[/item] can also be beneficial in times when maximum dps is needed (e.g. First 1min of nuking hydross before adds appear).
Useful Links
Here are a few links that I find to be very useful for hunters, whether it be researching new or current specs, or looking at which pet suits you the best:
Aym's Comprehensive All-In-One Hunter Guide - Useful guide to hunters in general, I recommend all hunters read this for information on all specs, as well as some information you may have not known before.
Petopia - Very large, and useful, compilation of pets. The best site to go to for any queries about which pet to use, where to get it and the required pet abilities.
Note - will add more info on MM and BM specs