Survival, or Marks. For PVP

[Phatte]

Hello,

Im currently full pvp geared awaiting the start of the season tomorrow and im wondering if I should stick with Survival or go to Marks. I will not play Beast Mastery as it has never interested me. I have done fine as survival in the past few years in pvp but ive heard good things about marksmanship this expansion.

Whats the hunter communities thoughts? Also, for whichever spec please say why you think it will be the most efficient (Glyphs / talent / enchant choices)

Thanks!

[Keyboard Champion]

MM if you want to do big numbers while no one is looking at you, and get pooped on by rogues and ferals when they see you.

Surv if you don't want to be pooped on by rogues and ferals (you can't kill them but at least you can keep them away), do shit damage that makes healers laugh at you. No, I'm not joking about the last part, I actually had a resto shaman spamming /lol at me while I was throwing everything I got at him.

[DeicideUH]

No, I'm not joking about the last part, I actually had a resto shaman spamming /lol at me while I was throwing everything I got at him.

MM is not immune to that as well. Sneaked my way into stables with my MM (Lone Wolf). Only a resto shaman defending. Cue 1x1 battle. Even interrupting and CC'ing him, the best I could do was drop him to 50% health before he healed himself to full. After initial burst, we just stood there, facing one another. He couldn't do shit but heal himself, and I couldn't do shit because he can heal faster than I can cast the next Aimed Shot. Then his reinforcements arrived and I was dead.

[Deleted]

Healers currently need 2x players working together rolling CDs and interrupts in order to kill. No matter what healer.

I don't think SV is a viable PvP spec. No Kill Shot. No controllable burst. You can 'Survive' as Survival and you can harass pretty well but you cant actually kill anything.

MM is much stronger but you need to play to its strengths. It's incredibly strong as a group cannon but its weak 1v1 (a good player can avoid every single Aimed Shot). It becomes better in 1v1 with Frost Exotic Munitions, Crows and other utility. Only go Lone Wolf if you know you have healing support and can avoid being targeted. A Lone Wolf MM Hunter caught sleeping is game over.

BM is decent in all round but the playstyle isn't for everyone.

[Transmigration]

Healers currently need 2x players working together rolling CDs and interrupts in order to kill. No matter what healer.

I don't think SV is a viable PvP spec. No Kill Shot. No controllable burst. You can 'Survive' as Survival and you can harass pretty well but you cant actually kill anything.

I beg to differ. I have been going MM/LW for BGs and it fucking rules. Arena has been a different story. I play 2's and many times it's me against 1 guy in the end. I have killed rets,wars,rogues, and yes, even a feral or 2 as SV. I can kite like a son of a bitch with black ice. Going SV for arena, hands down. I've tried both in skirmishes and imo MM sucks for it.

[Deleted]

I beg to differ. I have been going MM/LW for BGs and it fucking rules. Arena has been a different story. I play 2's and many times it's me against 1 guy in the end. I have killed rets,wars,rogues, and yes, even a feral or 2 as SV. I can kite like a son of a bitch with black ice. Going SV for arena, hands down. I've tried both in skirmishes and imo MM sucks for it.

OK, I'm going to give SV another go, in some Skirmishes. I tried it at shitty gear levels, and couldn't kill anything.

[Derian]

I tried to play survival, I really prefer it. My ret partner spent three days complaining that I wasn't mm and lecturing me on the hunter talents (as in telling me what each one does and what he thinks is best), telling me that my utility wasn't needed cause he could do everything, and I should just "go lone wolf mm so he wouldn't need to carry me."

[DeicideUH]

I tried to play survival, I really prefer it. My ret partner spent three days complaining that I wasn't mm and lecturing me on the hunter talents (as in telling me what each one does and what he thinks is best), telling me that my utility wasn't needed cause he could do everything, and I should just "go lone wolf mm so he wouldn't need to carry me."

IMO, tell him to eat shit and search a partner that is less of an asshole.

[Deleted]

I tried to play survival, I really prefer it. My ret partner spent three days complaining that I wasn't mm and lecturing me on the hunter talents (as in telling me what each one does and what he thinks is best), telling me that my utility wasn't needed cause he could do everything, and I should just "go lone wolf mm so he wouldn't need to carry me."

That's not a 'partner' dude.

[Tunak]

Why you would ever play a hunter specc without kill shot or a burst cooldown is beyond me.
Marks offers good burst, with a good burst cooldown, and kill shot at 35% which imo is border line broken. Add that with exotic ammunition perma slow, and you can see why most hunters are looking to MM for their PvP needs.

Edit: I would say BM is a definite close second.

[Torais]

Why you would ever play a hunter specc without kill shot or a burst cooldown is beyond me.
Marks offers good burst, with a good burst cooldown, and kill shot at 35% which imo is border line broken. Add that with exotic ammunition perma slow, and you can see why most hunters are looking to MM for their PvP needs.

And there lies the problem.

MM has a good opening, a great finisher and pretty much nothing in the middle. As mentioned above, you also get crapped all over by any melee class, especially when Aimed Shot takes about six months to cast.

Srv can stay alive better and actually get shots off but those shots might as well be Nerf foam darts and harsh language for all the damage they do. The lack of a burst cooldown and Kill Shot as absolutely criminal and serves no purpose whatsoever other then to inconvenience players of the spec. Unlike MM, it doesn't even have the "well they do great PvE damage" excuse to try and pull here.

BM does even lower damage, even more boring to play and while you have Kill Shot, you are also still a slave to buggy, stupid pet AI.

[Derian]

That's not a 'partner' dude.

Sad thing is this's one of the guys I've been doing 3s and rbgs with since the first cataclysm season.

[Tunak]

And there lies the problem.

MM has a good opening, a great finisher and pretty much nothing in the middle. As mentioned above, you also get crapped all over by any melee class, especially when Aimed Shot takes about six months to cast.

Srv can stay alive better and actually get shots off but those shots might as well be Nerf foam darts and harsh language for all the damage they do. The lack of a burst cooldown and Kill Shot as absolutely criminal and serves no purpose whatsoever other then to inconvenience players of the spec. Unlike MM, it doesn't even have the "well they do great PvE damage" excuse to try and pull here.

BM does even lower damage, even more boring to play and while you have Kill Shot, you are also still a slave to buggy, stupid pet AI.

If you're getting shit on by melee as ANY hunter, MM or not, you're doing something wrong. There is literally not a melee in the game that we cannot beat 1v1 right now. We have PERMA SLOW from talents right now. If you're losing to melee you're bad.

[Boricha]

I have PvP'd as both MM and BM (with Exotic ammunitions) and I'd say MM is the correct choice, albeit BM still feels better to play imo. I feel immortal vs all melee as both specs though, even rets and ferals, and do fairly well against all ranged as well. I'd say the biggest challenge is a Boomkin with chain procs and healers. I just don't see survival being good for something. No burst CDs or KS sucks.